ultracart

What is the meaning of life?

Ahhhh ¦.. console and comfort in the embrace of youthful innocence and purity Ã¢â‚¬â€ from a dearest soulful classmate, a daughter of Divinity, whom IÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ve not discoursed with in 40 long years Ã¢â‚¬â€œ

From Ã¢â‚¬Å“SistaÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ Ã¢â‚¬â€œ

Back in 1970, when I was a senior in high school, someone told me to consider yourself lucky if you have one friend. Some go through life without a single (true) friend. I was the luckiest person because I not only found a friend; I found a family in Ã¢â‚¬Å“The Country Boyz. [rural plantation kids] I donÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t remember how I came to know these Ã¢â‚¬Å“boyz, [became friends when loving “Sista'” was an urban supermarket counter clerk — “Sista'” was a city girl] but they welcomed me into the group with no qualifications or rules about how to be a friend. I was accepted just as I was.

At that time, The Country Boyz did not know that I came into the group broken¦ broken from years of child abuse. The Country Boyz taught me to laugh, enjoy life, and more importantly, gave me strength and hope. People stand out for various reasons, but I am forever grateful to the following Country Boyz:

The day before leaving Hilo, two of the Ã¢â‚¬Å“boyz were going to take me for a drive around the island¦ this was their gift to me before leaving for college. However, when they picked me up, they discovered that I was having family problems. Prior to this, they didnÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t know about any problems, and as I sat there sobbing, they didnÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t know what to do with me. I look back to this day repeatedly because I am so impressed by their wisdom at such a young age (17)¦ They decided to take me to my supervisor because they were sure an adult would know what to do. Because of this decision, we were able to continue with our drive around the island and I left Hilo suddenly and prematurely early the next morning. At that time, I believed I would never return to Hilo. What a beautiful site when The Country Boyz surprised me when they came to see me off!

Another member of the Country Boyz once told me that he would continue to look in on my baby brother and sister. I wonder, did you sense something was not right with my family, BrahÃ¢â‚¬â„¢? I have not seen you in 40 years and I just recently learned from my brother that you would pick him up on your 10-speed bike to take him fishing behind the hotels at Banyan Drive. My brother said you and he would just fish and talk about everything. He said that you would make him laugh and forget about his problems¦ You were the funniest guy, full of energy, and could make everyone laugh. On your way back to our house, my brother said that you would stop at KandiÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s Drive Inn and let him eat all the cheeseburgers he could consume. I just learned about this and it brings tears to my eyes every time I think about it. Thank you so much! You are such a good person and May God Bless you for your kindness. My brother said that you & some of the guys also continued taking my brother & sister to the movies after I was gone. He also remembers going to Hapuna Beach with you where you dug the biggest hole in the sand that heÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s ever seen. My brother reminded me that you were an Elvis lover, which really split my seams and made me laugh to no end.

My journey started 40 yrs ago and the camaraderie we (The Country Boyz) shared still tugs dearest at my heart. I am so proud to have been associated with such beautiful people. I drew strength from Ã¢â‚¬Å“The Country Boyz and they helped me endure the challenges I was faced with. I truly believe I wouldnÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t be where I am if I had never met them. Thank you Ã¢â‚¬Å“Country Boyz for being there for me¦ You were the light that shone when all seemed dim. You showed me how wonderful and good this world really was, and unknowingly steered me in the right direction. You were the most important ingredient in my life. Two thousand miles away the bond we shared is still there¦

Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€

SistaÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s authenticity shows me ultimately Ã¢â‚¬Å“The Path.

ItÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s not where youÃ¢â‚¬â„¢re going that counts, itÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s in the asking [question of where you’re going]. In other words, if you query what is the righteous life, you now are on your way to it.

Authenticity is not narcissism or self-centeredness.
It is a fluid transparency of self in all we do and with all whom we love. Thanks, Steve Kalas and my godsend Malie.

Thus the great paradox: When we share ourselves authentically, those with whom we share find themselves confronted with an invitation to be
themselves, too. They find their authentic story in the sharing of our own. Thus the gift of self or the gift of presence.

SistaÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s greatest art is her sense of comedy/humor, the rarest of all [beside the rest of the trinity of art’s greatest gifts — 1) inner voice/strength
& 2) mystery/intrigue –of letting destiny unfold and reveal itself to you, just as you see w/Leonardo DiCaprioÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s character Jack in the blockbuster movie
Titanic, opposite Kate WinslettÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s character Rose, whose inner voice/strength/subconscious comprise her greatest art]. ArtÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s trinity of mystery/inner strength/humor lie in the mortal plane. Undeniably, SistaÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s greatest metaphysical gift, as opposed to mortal gift, is SistaÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s direct link to her Lord. Apply my soulful mentor MalieÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s dynamo duo bone-rattler queries, 1) Ã¢â‚¬Å“What is the higher Truth here? [serve God by serving humanity, just as DiCaprio’s Jack embraced the lowest of
the low of society — outcasts/unwashed-unwanted]; 2) Ã¢â‚¬Å“What, if any, is the ultimate disguised blessing? [by serving others, you encourage them to love and not fear anyone/anything]. SistaÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ 1) processes and 2) integrates accordingly. Only love endures. ItÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s love, itÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s all love [elderly lady at the
Ganges river in India who exuded “It’s love, it’s all love” to my mentor Malie].

SistaÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s greatest inspiration on this earth is her inner voice, her link with God, who expresses to her 1) that life is unfair, but things balance out in the end/afterlife, so have a good attitude [like Norman Vincent Peale]; 2) do not be ashamed of who you are, because God is not ashamed of you, inasmuch we are all children of God Ã¢â‚¬â€ no one is forsaken; 3) retribution is not part of our God, inasmuch our God is not a punishing God Ã¢â‚¬â€ our God exudes Grace/Love evermore Ã¢â‚¬â€ thence, do not do the same thing to the abuser/perpetrator which wrongly was inflicted upon you by such abuser; 4) GodÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s Will is incredibly powerful Ã¢â‚¬â€ if you are able to, switch your alma y corazon [soul/heart] via your mechanism of your mind to be self-reliant, and as in SistaÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s fullness of time, her gifts of the spirit include willing himself to stop her spiritual bleeding/foretell her own birth-life unfolding to God & her purpose to love/comfort/heal others; 5) nobody has God for you Ã¢â‚¬â€ you have a direct link to God. SistaÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ viscerally feels that greed is humanityÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s most auspicious sin, but after reflection, finds that over-pride takes the cake, so to speak; 6) itÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s okay to be spoiled as long as youÃ¢â‚¬â„¢re grateful. SistaÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ feels that GodÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s Grace canopies us all, and Grace is unmerited/unearned, so humble/submit ourselves to GodÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s love for us all. SistaÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ feels that nothing in her life is so unbearable so long as SistaÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ submits to God, so that we are grateful for everything. Thence, SistaÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ feels that anything is better, not worse, vis a vis the hand that is dealt her, so that SistaÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ humbles herself and is grateful for everything. In this sense, this is SistaÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s bonus life, as Malie so imparts to me. SistaÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ 1) processes 2) integrates her experiences into her point of being here/in the Moment, so to speak. Most fortunate that God has given SistaÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ a positive handle on life. And again, SistaÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ asks her bone-rattler dynamo duo queries, 1) What is the higher Truth? 2) what if any is the ultimate disguised blessing? Till time disappears, endure with love for all to the end.

SistaÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ is steeped in wisdom & remarkable equanimity. An acolyte of both God & The Holy Bible, SistaÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ describes both role Exemplars as lotus blossoms which beautify all above the muck they emerge from of our most unfortunate human condition].

SistaÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s ultimate disguised blessings are 1) that abject tragedy in her life have inspired her to love fully & completely; 2) SistaÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s own mortality which tempted Satan to test her faith in God Ã¢â‚¬â€ faith is not contingent on outcome Ã¢â‚¬â€ Faith, repeat, is not outcome dependent!! To SistaÃ¢â‚¬â„¢, as to my mentor Malie, grace is GodÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s love, and we forgive as well as entreat/beseech for forgiveness from others in our helpless mortal condition. WhatÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s the higher truth is SistaÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s time-tested resolution to mortal challenges, to make peace with herself, and to submit to God, to the very end. SistaÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ is Norman Vincent Peale incarnate [power of positive thinking]. merited/unearned, so we humble/submit ourselves to GodÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s love for us all. SistaÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s palpating line is Ã¢â‚¬Å“What do I know?! The greatest spiritual leaders always keep check of their strengths/weaknesses via this query. Tabula rasa [no preconceived notions] mark SistaÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s openness. SistaÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ 1) processes 2) integrates her experiences into her point of being here/in the Moment, so to speak. Till time disappears, for now and for always, endure with love for all to the end.

GodÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s glory pours through SistaÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ like light through a prism/lens, showering a rainbow on everyone around dearest SistaÃ¢â‚¬â„¢.

Who undyngly poured their lives into your own just because it made them smile to see you happy, thriving and victorious? Can you see their faces? Can you feel their love? Can you experience Divinity?

Recount their legacy. Right now. And be grateful.

Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€-

My daughterÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s genreÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s Jodi PicoultÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s characters are like SistaÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ Ã¢â‚¬â€ they are authentic/real.

Let me tell you this: if you meet a loner, no matter what they tell you, itÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s not because they enjoy solitude. ItÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s because they have tried to blend into the world before, and people continue to disappoint them.
Ã¢â‚¬â€ Jodi Picoult (My SisterÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s Keeper)

Ã¢â‚¬Å“I, um, I have this problem. I broke up with my boyfriend, you see. And IÃ¢â‚¬â„¢m pretty upset about it, so I wanted to talk to my best friend. […] The thing is, theyÃ¢â‚¬â„¢re both you.
Ã¢â‚¬â€ Jodi Picoult (The Pact)

Ã¢â‚¬Å“IÃ¢â‚¬â„¢m lonely. Why do you think I had to learn to act so independent? I also get mad too quickly, and I hog the covers, and my second toe is longer than my big one. My hair has itÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s own zip code. Plus, I get certifiably crazy when IÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ve got PMS. You donÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t love someone because theyÃ¢â‚¬â„¢re perfect. You love them in spite of the fact that theyÃ¢â‚¬â„¢re not.
Ã¢â‚¬â€ Jodi Picoult (My SisterÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s Keeper)

Ã¢â‚¬Å“A photo says, you were happy, and I wanted to catch that. A photo says, you were so important to me that I put down everything else to come watch.
Ã¢â‚¬â€ Jodi Picoult

Ã¢â‚¬Å“So much of the language of love was like that: you devoured someone with your eyes, you drank in the sight of him, you swallowed him whole. Love was substance, broken down and beating through your bloodstream.
Ã¢â‚¬â€ Jodi Picoult (Nineteen Minutes)

Ã¢â‚¬Å“If you spent your life concentrating on what everyone else thought of you, would you forget who you really were? What if the face you showed the world turned out to be a mask¦ with nothing beneath it?
Ã¢â‚¬â€ Jodi Picoult

Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€œ

Contempo existentialism postulates that
one must make his and her own values in an indifferent world. One can live meaningfully (free of despair and anxiety) in an unconditional commitment to something finite, and devotes that meaningful life to the commitment, despite the external vulnerability inherent to doing so. I love history. I love life. My existential definition lies right here, right at this instant.

The most beautiful and erotic [as in lovers Jack and Rose in the 1997 movie Titanic] expressions from Ms. Toni Roberts Ã¢â‚¬â€ Ã¢â‚¬Å“Just remember, your future is mine too. We are in this together. Ã¢â‚¬â€œToni sigh¦..

And as Steven Kalas so eloquently imparts Ã¢â‚¬â€

Ã¢â‚¬Å“Principle and Ã¢â‚¬Å“integrity are such seductive yet destructive notions. Be wary of self-righteous secular blowhards who cite Ã¢â‚¬Å“principle and Ã¢â‚¬Å“integrity. Because principle or integrity often is but a convenient disguise for overpride/ego.

IÃ¢â‚¬â„¢d rather end my life saying I was too often a fool for the hope of redemption than to end my life proud of how fiercely I nurtured my indignation at those lesser than me in principle/integrity.

Jesus was a lowly grungy hippie. Does that make him less than you/me?? Will Donald Trump be remembered two thousand years from now as we worship Jesus and our Heavenly Father two thousand years after Jesus died for our sins?? Unlikely.

Grace shapes our ideas about suffering and healing. Grace shapes the way we apprehend human dilemmas and proceed in our attempts to ameliorate those dilemmas.

The unconscious is relentless in its desire to communicate authenticity and wholeness to the ego. And the ego is relentless to ignore, dodge, deny and defend itself from those communications. Freedom to live authentically consciously is the reward. Pride/principle/integrity propounded as ethical elitism are hardly useful nor merited. They
swell in the head of oneÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s pride/ego who excites in judging down anyone but oneself.

Let me save you some time. You are weird! But so am I! EverybodyÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s weird, at least in the sense that everyone who seeks depth connections eventually must connect oneÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s particular, idiosyncratic weirdness with somebody elseÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s weirdness. Connections of weirdness, in the end, are the Ã¢â‚¬Å“good stuff of great friendships and marriages. ItÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s the stuff you remember long after people are dead and gone. The joy of depth connections is to meet folks whose weirdness makes you smile a bemused smile, and likewise your weirdness is endearing to them. The stuff for the ages, timeless traditions, such as SantaÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s snore while Mama Claus wonders if Santa will make his rounds of joy-giving in due time.

Manifesting an Ã¢â‚¬Å“inner soul within oneÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s deepest unconscious core is a cosmic attraction for discovering depth connections with others. Depth connections are a gift. A discovery. Not a decision or an achievement. They simply are inexplicably climactic.

And for the next few minutes, the hobo speaks of an aloneness and misery so stark, so complete, well, itÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s not easy to behold.

His poverty Ã¢â‚¬â€ physical, psychological, spiritual Ã¢â‚¬â€ is matched by the poverty of my response.

I rather enjoy random encounters with human beings. I pay attention to these encounters. Especially when I become and am the hobo of humanity. Some part of me is always ready for those encounters to have meaning. Maybe profound meaning. From both contradictions of the giver and the given. It comes from the way my mother raised me. From watching her. I translated a message from her that goes something like, Ã¢â‚¬Å“No one doesnÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t matter.

Then there was my maternal grandmother, an Anglo-Catholic, who wrapped that same message theologically. She was keen to remind me that I might be Ã¢â‚¬Å“entertaining angels unaware.
The last piece I added on my own. I pay attention to otherwise random encounters not merely because I might have the opportunity even to change a life, but because I might, too, be changed by the encounter. From both sides, as giver and as given. Hitherto unexplained and unexplored.

It is a profound walk to find the courage to be here at all. To scratch and claw for the truth. Fundamentally, the truth about myself, ourselves, lovely and unlovely. For we all fall short, except to the fetid self-righteous who judge down to ascend up their delusion of prideful opulence. And have we not experienced them all, abusive and powerful!

No one doesnÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t matter. You never know when you might entertain an angel, nor if you become an angel yourself. You never know when the answer to your most pressing question will come in the form of some stranger who crosses your path. Not every random encounter has profound meaning. Not every encounter shifts the course of destiny.

But still, the next encounter might. You never know. Mindful, heartful. What do these matter? Maybe a Lot [Biblical].

IÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ve been mulling over 1 Corinthians 10:13, and Grace is the key. When Paul writes that God will not allow us to be tempted beyond our ability, he means that we are NEVER in a situation where we have NO other choice but to sin. ItÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s very important to
understand that God does NOT tempt anyone. Satan does the tempting, not God. James 1:13 emphatically states, Ã¢â‚¬Å“Let no one say when he is tempted, Ã¢â‚¬ËœI am being tempted by God,Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ for God cannot be tempted with evil, and He Himself tempts NO one. We grow in His Holiness, or we go in the opposite direction tempted by Satan, the convenient/easy out. Yet God allows Grace sufficient to endure and triumph over terrifying adversity. We abide by faith in Him, and trust to His Sustaining Grace. Daunting adversities endured by mortals, strengthened by the Grace of God. We have nothing to fear, especially considered are faithfulness, care, and the power of God in His Almighty grace. Grace is the key.

God has more faith in me than I have in myself!! Imagine that!! Grace veritably is amazing, allowed by God.

Biblical James is about faith pulling works, as a horse pulls a cart. Depth of faith in God is key, not works. Just as obedience and not sacrifice is key, based on the depth of oneÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s faith. That we know that we have eternal life is what faith is all about, not works as a faith in itself. Because such miscue becomes man worshiping himself instead of God. Other so-called religions, albeit false religions, call upon works without our knowledge of eternal life. Works for worksÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ sake, not faith/revelation, not obedience and endurance to the end [that we shall know & experience eternal life]. Amazing Grace.

After all, gang, arenÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t we all trying our best to be authentic, and that the quality of mercy is not strained Ã¢â‚¬â€ mercy is something that has to be freely given; no one can force someone else to be merciful. (Ã¢â‚¬Å“Strained is an old form of Ã¢â‚¬Å“constrained, meaning Ã¢â‚¬Å“forced.) From The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare.

A line from the play The Merchant of Venice, by William Shakespeare. Strained means Ã¢â‚¬Å“constrained, or Ã¢â‚¬Å“forced; the speaker is telling Shylock that mercy must be freely given, and is inviting him to show mercy to the title character.

From ShakespeareÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s The Merchant of Venice, 1596.

PORTIA: The quality of mercy is not strainÃ¢â‚¬â„¢d,

It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath: it is twice blest;
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes:
Ã¢â‚¬ËœTis mightiest in the mightiest: it becomes
The throned monarch better than his crown;
His sceptre shows the force of temporal power,
The attribute to awe and majesty,
Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings;
But mercy is above this sceptred sway;
It is enthroned in the hearts of kings,
It is an attribute to God himself.

The thoughtful reader sees that Portia says simply this: Ã¢â‚¬Å“Mercy does not come by compulsion; it comes of itself; it is spontaneous, and, having seen this, he has no difficulty in deciding how the line should be emphasized.

Deep repercussions. Patti Davis said that the most amazing thing about her dad Ronald Reagan is that he implored that in order for his healing to begin, he needs to be able to forgive his attempted assassin, from what he felt might well be his last breath to forgive and to make peace with his Maker/God. Amazing moment. More difficult is Byron Yogi from our Kilauea Mormon mission who said that Brother Yogi might be able to forgive his dad for discarding him. Of course, sage Malie born 1963 says it is presumptuous to place Brother Yogi over Ronald Reagan in the quality of mercy, to use ShakespeareÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s lingo. Malie is correct. Gosh, to be so lucky to be in the embrace of Providential servant like Malie Ã¢â‚¬â€ wow, pinch and wake up, and incredibly, the blessings endure to the end.

May I share with you the magnanimity of my alter ego Malie, who cogently says that one cannot quantify the quality of mercy, so that it is wrong to suggest that Brother Yogi has the most difficult task for forgiving his father for discarding him, vs. President Reagan who, not knowing his attempted assassin John Hinckley, immediately forgave Hinckley, which President ReaganÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s daughter Patti Davis says is the most amazing/remarkable thing about her dad, inasmuch President Reagan, perhaps feeling he might not survive this injury, felt it crucial to his recovery to lift the weight of anger off his shoulder by forgiving his attempted assassin. Though so young, Malie is quite an extraordinary person, baby, that I cannot place Brother YogiÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s task to forgive over and above President ReaganÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s quick forgiveness of Hinckley. Mercy is unquantifiable!! You donÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t
scorecard it!! Jesus does not keep a scorecard.

On the catch phrase Ã¢â‚¬Å“the quality of mercy, one sees that Portia in ShakespeareÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s Ã¢â‚¬Å“Merchant of Venice says simply this: Ã¢â‚¬Å“Mercy does not come by compulsion; it comes of itself; it is spontaneous. One cannot quantify the quality of mercy, period. Thank you, thank you, dearest Malie. Malie has some kind of innate connection to Mother Nature, among other gifts/fey. For example, injured birds in the dead of nite plop down right in front of Malie, after which she heals them to fly off once again into the forest. Here is my read on Edgar Cayce:

Edgar CayceÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s point Ã¢â‚¬â€œ
CayceÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s river in Psalm 46 is the flow of the
Holy Spirit in us all, pages 185 & 239 of CayceÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s
book Ã¢â‚¬Å“There is a River.

CayceÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s popular prohecies
[prophecy is of Greek origin for demonstrating the will
of God][prophet carries out the will of God to humanity] overarch his private one-on-one healing of the
ill.

Psychic is of Greek origin for soul which is filled
with divine inspiration or revelation.

In other words, prophet and psychic are one and the
same, in that a prophet or psychic ascends to touch the hand and Perfection of Christ, Imago Dei, and the conscious mind simply is a record of a day in the course of life, compared to the actual history of the soul, which is the almighty subconscious, per Cayce page 239. Extraordinary gift to share from Providence/up above. Malie has CayceÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s gift of divine inspiration, which gives me pause, to say the least.

As w/person of unmatched equanimity Malie, it is not the experience of loss which challenges one to Ã¢â‚¬Å“show up/recover from such loss, but oneÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s response to such loss, and how one can enlarge/transform via the loss even as one continues to experience it, such as the continuing battle w/spouse or child abuse, and one aspect is the grace one receives in freeing oneself by the power of response/transformation. The ultimate disguised blessing of spouse or other abuse is that the victim transforms negative thoughts/energy into positive acts of valor/altruism/common good. Always invisible to the victim of abuse, but spiritually powerful/beneficial to the rest of humanity.

God Meant it for Good
To their surprise and relief Joseph said to them, Ã¢â‚¬Å“You meant evil against me but God meant it for good. Genesis 50:20-21

Do you know that Biblical Joseph is the only person who seems to be without fault? Incredible legacy. Malie says prayer is the most powerful antidote to emptiness. Why? As Malie intones, prayer is the consummate act of humility/submission, and one who surrenders to the Will of the Lord essentially shall be saved by the Will of the Lord, but Faith is not contingent on outcome. Luke 17:33; Matthew 10:39. Lose, and be found, the inexplicable irony. Key to comfort of dying is to ensure salvation, or to be relaxed/at peace, and in this sense, Faith does merge w/GodÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s Will. Thy Will Be Done. The most powerful 4 words, & I thank discerning Malie for such Clarity. Incredibly powerful message from up above! Thank you, thank you! God Willing, two words!!

Or, as Gustav Mahler said, Ã¢â‚¬Å“If you love romance for romance sake, then donÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t love me. But if you love me for your sake, then love me, just as I love you for my sake! Wow!! Ellen Howarth reminisced, Ã¢â‚¬Å“Where doth the heart that does not keep within its inmost core, some fond remembrance hidden deep, of days that are no more Ã¢â‚¬â€ a faded flower, a broken ring, a tress of my loved oneÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s hair. Love eternally.

I was at a party feeling very shy because there were a lot of celebrities around, and I was sitting in a corner alone and a very beautiful young man came up to me and offered me some salted peanuts and said, Ã¢â‚¬Å“I wish they were emeralds as he handed me the peanuts and that was the end of my heart. I never wanted it back.
~Helen Hayes

IÃ¢â‚¬â„¢m not supposed to love you,
IÃ¢â‚¬â„¢m not supposed to care,
IÃ¢â‚¬â„¢m not supposed to live
my life wishing you were there,
IÃ¢â‚¬â„¢m not supposed to wonder
where you are and what to do,
IÃ¢â‚¬â„¢m sorry I canÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t help myself,
IÃ¢â‚¬â„¢m in love with you.

Every man dies. Not every man really lives.
William Wallace, in Braveheart

I measure up in my love and devotion to you, even
if I donÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t measure up in your eyes. I shall move
on, knowing that my love for you is true.

When I am ignored/forgotten, or when I await a minus/negative communication as one unburdens of me, I repose and take comfort that love lives on in my heart and in the afterlife, and that just the same, romance never dies, now or in the hereafter.

How do I find meaning and identity, comfort and consolation, in an indifferent world??

Great pundit Steven Kalas is the link above, who addresses the proverbial saying here:

 Does love truly come to everyone? Or may I die alone, having never been loved or given the chance to love? 
~ Unknown

Love life, even if love does not come to you. You shall be rewarded in the afterlife, brahÃ¢â‚¬â„¢/sisÃ¢â‚¬â„¢, Ã¢â‚¬Å“garanz [guaranteed!] Trust in God, and surrender/submit to Him, in obedience and endure in Faith in God to the end.

One can live meaningfully (free of despair and anxiety) in an unconditional commitment to something finite, and devotes that meaningful life to the commitment, despite the external vulnerability inherent to doing so. I love history. I love life. My existential definition lies right here, right at this instant. I recount my heroes and heroines and their legacies. Right now. In tremendous reverence for their love and support. Pololei/righteously.

Denise Takashima born 1953 my peer but looks like she is my daughter, not age twin Ã¢â‚¬â€ sheÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s not just young at heart Ã¢â‚¬â€ sheÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s eternally physically young! Gosh! And drop dead gorgeous on top of that! Here is sweetness personified Denise Ã¢â‚¬â€œ

iÃ¢â‚¬â„¢m just so sorry that you and bernie couldnÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t be partners for life. nonetheless, nearly 30 yrs.
together is a long time nowadays. such is my christmas wish for you. that you have a partner in love and spirit and soul. Ã¢â‚¬Å“all u need is love,
the beautiful song by the beatles.

but i am glad you have the most loving daughter. you have her in your life and all of her ohana kidz! you are loved by her and her bundle of kids!

coming from a daughter who lost her dad, i can only try to explain to
you Ã¢â‚¬â€œ

A father is that strong man in your life. He is always there. He is
always there to pick you up when you fall down and carries you to bed
when you fall asleep. He is a safety net. A strong safety net.

And when a daughter grows, finds another man in her life, her dad is
still that strength. So it is important that father approves of the new
man in her life.

And then when children come around, they, too count on grandpa. HeÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s
always there. He picks them up, he plays with them. He helps them feel
safe and secure.

So, spend as much time with them as possible. When I lost my dad, I
realized
how much losing that strength means. Even if it was just to hear his
voice.
That is how much you dads mean to us daughters!!!

My husband symbolizes the same in both my daughters. Daddies are just
the Clark Kents in life! Yes, Superman!

signing off now! Going home in this yikes! honolulu traffic.

with love and aloha,

denise

From nonpareil/incomparable KingLit Ching born 1936Ã¢â‚¬â€œ

Curtis, you are a pretty amazing guy with your sensitivity to the unique human experience and profound appreciation of the positive traits in people. Of course you can be brutal with people who are selfish, arrogant, greedy and stupid. Tell me a little more about your personal life to give me a better idea of where you are coming from. [Curt’s bracketed note: My dad went only to the 8th grade because plantation kids were banned from going to public high school by our Thurstonites — I always see us locals as grassroot Huck Finns] We all see life from our own personal experiences. At my age not being in perfect health like a teen, I can be cynical but on a beautiful California day, my spirits will soar. Dad (Hung Wai) was always fascinated with this gift from God Ã¢â‚¬â€œ natureÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s uplifting experience. Denise touches on your personal life below. Regards, Ã¢â‚¬â€ King Lit P.S. This Denise is quite a woman, and gorgeous too! What does she mean when she says that you and she are Ã¢â‚¬Å“background people? I like her comments on who a father is since I have 4 daughters (and one son) and 4 granddaughters among my mo-opuna. Very meaningful. [Denise always gives credit to those around her, even though she struck the spark of our Social Gospel/Dharma/etc.]

KingLit ChingÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s greatest inspiration is the inner voice, the Holy Spirit, his link with God, who intones that no one has God on/for you Ã¢â‚¬â€ you have a direct link to God, unimpeded by mortal obfuscation
[taking your eye off the ball, so to speak]. Malie born 1963 is The Avatar, despite her youthful age/
countenance, and Malie credits her Christ-like Dad for her mindfulness/heartfulness/being present-in the Moment/showing up, so to speak. No greater person walks the Ã¢â‚¬Ëœaina than Malie. This is her spiritial walk with God. Her bonus life thanks to God. A survivor to date of the dreaded ****** word. And KingLitÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s bonus life too/just the same. KingLit born 1936 fortuitously has the last 2 digits of his birthdate inverted w/MalieÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s birthdate of 1963. Good luck sign, if you wannaÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ believe Asian numerology [plus-plus on both sides of the switch — double up strength in numbers, via mirror image of each other literally]. My obasan/grandma died on my birthday, good luck sign if you wanna believe Asian mythology. Obasan gave up her life for me to live mine. I/my baby brother [no sisters] never grew up with grandparents. We do not know what itÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s like to experience grandparents, in that our dearest parents had us in middle age, being old enough to be our grandparents. Dad was a happy go lucky single man poker champion, and Mom a thriving independent female before todayÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s feminism even was coined.

Manifesting an Ã¢â‚¬Å“inner soul within oneÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s deepest unconscious core is a cosmic attraction for discovering depth connections with others. Depth connections are a gift. A discovery. Not a decision or an achievement. They simply are inexplicably climactic. KingLit actuates that this inner soul is the Holy Spirit in us all, that we have a direct link to God, and that through prayer, surrender, and Faith in God, God talks to us all. This is the power of Faith, of Grace. And yes, the blessed power of Redemption, of love one and love all, no matter what the cause or outcome. No matter. Redemption. The quality of Mercy is not strained.

Grace shapes our ideas about suffering and healing. Grace shapes the way we apprehend human dilemmas and proceed in our attempts to ameliorate those dilemmas.

GodÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s Grace allows for Redemption, unearned and
unmerited, but for the Grace of God. We all fall
short, even the so-called best of us. Most unfortunate, but such is our indifferent human lot.
Yes, we try our best to be authentic, however clumsily we plod forward, and in this sense, as with life overall, Redemption is key, brought on by GodÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s Grace.

IÃ¢â‚¬â„¢d rather end my life saying I was too often a fool for the Hope of Redemption than to end my life proud of how fiercely I nurtured my indignation at those lesser than me in principle/integrity. And have we all not faced ourselves in the mirror, much less been the victims of adjudgers who in our/their fetid self-righteous postures judge down to ascend up their illusory poles of prideful opulence.

Ã¢â‚¬Å“Principle and Ã¢â‚¬Å“integrity are such seductive yet destructive notions. Be wary of self-righteous blowhards full of themselves who cite Ã¢â‚¬Å“principle and Ã¢â‚¬Å“integrity. Because principle or integrity often is but a convenient disguise for overpride/ego.

Jesus was a lowly grungy hippie. Does that make him less than you/me?? Will Donald Trump be remembered two thousand years from now as we worship Jesus and our Heavenly Father two thousand years after Jesus died for our sins?? Unlikely.

Pride/principle/integrity propounded as ethical elitism are hardly useful nor merited. They
swell in the head of one whose pride/ego excites in judging down anyone but oneself.

It is a profound walk to find the courage to be here at all. To scratch and claw for the truth. Fundamentally, the truth about myself, ourselves, lovely and unlovely. For we all fall short in our most unfortunate human condition. Though we try to be authentic, however disjointed we are.

No one doesnÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t matter. You never know when you might entertain an angel, nor if you become an angel yourself. You never know when the answer to your most pressing question will come in the form of some stranger who crosses your path. Not every random encounter has profound meaning. Not every encounter shifts the course of destiny.

But still, the next encounter might. You never know. Mindful, heartful. What do these matter? Maybe a Lot [Biblical]. Redemption through Grace. GodÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s gift to us all.

GodÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s glory pours through KingLit Ching like light through a prism/lens, showering a rainbow on everyone around dearest KingLit.

Who undyngly poured their lives into your own just because it made them smile to see you happy, thriving and victorious? Can you see their faces? Can you feel their love? Can you experience Divinity?

ItÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s so easy to get caught up in oneÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s personal situation both physical and psychological e.g. business, social, personal, etc. The dreaded word ****** forced me to take stock of and rethink who I am. It is an enlightening experience that led me inadvertently to the Ã¢â‚¬Å“Tao. It also opened me up to exploring a much wider range of philosophies and theologies including being curious about super physicist Stephen HawkingÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s theories and findings. I am fascinated with his views of Ã¢â‚¬Å“a God [he says there is none] and his answers to Ã¢â‚¬Å“ultimate questions.

I guess that this has been a bonus life (? Just life?) and I am sure there could be more but they cannot be planned. Life and discoveries are Ã¢â‚¬Å“accidents or unpredictable (all research on research bears this out). The miracle of life is life itself which must be marveled at for what it is. There are no Ã¢â‚¬Å“higher truths, just truths. What is a higher truth? Existentialists do not make that distinction, do they? [the key is, do you, dearest brah’?][it may be that realization of your unrequited love for all is God’s higher truth for you, dearest child of God KingLit ]

What is this Ã¢â‚¬Å“ultimate disguised blessing? Christians seek salvation and redemption and know where to look for them. ThereÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s nothing mystical or high powered about seeking redemption. ItÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s supposed to be SIMPLE Ã¢â‚¬â€ complex explanations of simple truths??!! Ask a mother. Observe a father as Denise suggests. You know all of this. YouÃ¢â‚¬â„¢re just Ã¢â‚¬Å“testing me like you love to do with others. It is CurtisÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ Socratic method to ferret out peopleÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s inner most feelings. Phooey! (just kidding)

Curtis is also a secret admirer of Sigmund Freud. For Curtis, SEX is a driving force in ALL aspects of life. SEX from both an A type maleÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s stand point and SEX from a willing (but lusty) femaleÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s stand point. Curtis can sense when SEX becomes a factor. His ardor permeates his written word. This concludes my sermon for today. But Curtis does also believe in agape once his lust is expended. Regards, Ã¢â‚¬â€œKingLit
P.S. I still get horny and am thinking of sponsoring a young Filipina or Thai Ã¢â‚¬Å“assistant for my business. Just kidding You know I love and respect everyone, including women Ã¢â‚¬â€ we all are GodÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s little children, each and every one of us Ã¢â‚¬â€ even you, Curtis!

From gorgeous, delicate, and tender Denise TakashimaÃ¢â‚¬â€œ

Whoa, Mr. Ching Ã¢â‚¬â€œHa! Ha!

The women allow you to think youÃ¢â‚¬â„¢re the lion (king)!!!

(smile/wink ]

aloha,denise

Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€œ

From KingLit Ching born 1936 to drop-dead gorgeous
but utterly earthy Denise Takashima born 1953 Ã¢â‚¬â€œ

Hello Denise, Let me think a little more about your comments before I respond. [KingLit later responded saying he is the Lion-King of the lair-den –jokingly]

My response to KingLit ChingÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s puzzlement Ã¢â‚¬â€œ

What is a higher truth? Existentialists do not make that distinction, do they? [the key is, do you, dearest brah’ KingLit?][it may be that realization of your unrequited love for all is God’s higher truth for you, dearest child of God KingLit ]

What is this Ã¢â‚¬Å“ultimate disguised blessing? [renewed appreciation for the littlest things in
life — the morning sunrise/the setting sunset/etc.]

I appreciate Mr. ChingÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s expressions, Curtis. Your network of peers keeps my eyes wide open. KingLit Ching and other diverse folks are so amazing. How you make the peanut butter that sticks it all together is a blessing itself! Thank you. p.s. Are not all men driven by Ã¢â‚¬Å“CreationÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s eros??! [yes — more of social expectations/roles than anything else] aloha, Ã¢â‚¬â€œdenise

From magnanimous Denise Takashima born 1953 but who looks my daughterÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s age [born 1973] Ã¢â‚¬â€œ

but itÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s the same with you, curtis. we define Ã¢â‚¬Å“never judge a book by itÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s cover. and itÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s not just uncle willy thompson. it could be uncle ah chew goo born 1918, or even a street person. we are just human. the other day I wanted to try Paina Cafe. itÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s supposed to be this great poke place in ward center. i placed my order for dinner, and was waiting. this man who looked like he could have been your dad or my dad went up to the counter and kept asking questions about the poke bowl. I knew he didnÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t have money. I paid for his poke bowl and told the woman at the counter to just give it to him. he was hungry and the picture of the poke bowl looked so good to him. he came up to me and thanked me. i like to break down these macho walls, or take that pride thing and throw it out the window. we all need some help and kindness. it doesnÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t cost more than i can afford. itÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s like a smile. you give and you get one back! itÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s the silly pride which gets in the way! and where on earth did you give the impression of the most gorgeous woman on this planet??!! kinglit is right, you like to test him and me, heh? alohas, Ã¢â‚¬â€œdenise

From CurtÃ¢â‚¬â€œ

Hi Denise: Yes, you are on the mark about
waking up and being able to smell the coffee every morning. Life can be taken from us in an instant. Actually, he doesnÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t know how to react to
your incredulous sense of kindness [which you take for granted!]. You, a stranger out of
nowhere [as you were to Uncle Willy Thompson], to succor/nurture the tenderest side
of us all??? Plus, you being the most gorgeous woman on earth??!! And yet so simple and earthy??!

Ã¢â‚¬Å“No make sense to this Ivy Leaguer. Ã¢â‚¬Å“He no understand. Ã¢â‚¬Å“He donÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t know you went thru this health crucible with your Dad. He donÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t know.

No, not about s*x or being too forward as a wahine. Ã¢â‚¬Å“He nevaÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ been treated with
such kindness before! Ã¢â‚¬Å“Neva!

You are an anomaly as Jesus was to the pharisees. You are Jesus incarnate.

Ã¢â‚¬Å“I no can believe your gifts of the Spirit [Biblical]. After all, the Romans/pharisees
couldnÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t believe their eyes either when Jesus manifested Truth. Your fan always, Ã¢â‚¬â€œCurt

From Denise Ã¢â‚¬â€œ

well, i would love to snail mail him a uh warriors hat. heÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s the same age as my dad when my dad had his epiphany¦. itÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s good to talk about it, though.
aloha, Ã¢â‚¬â€œdenise

From remarkable loving Denise Takashima Ã¢â‚¬â€œ

Curtis Ã¢â‚¬â€œ

Sometimes it takes many years for men to grow up. And I truly understand your dearest male friend. Yes, my dad was the same in his younger years (when I was young). Men are supposed to be Hercules or Superman. But my DadÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s greatest strength was his tenderness which came with maturation and time. This tender and delicate love turned it around for us all. And it was through the love of my own husband and kids that we became even closer. We know there is no manual on life and on parenting. Back then, people just winged it. Some fail and some succeed. So it was important to me that our kids were raised with love. They know they are loved dearly everyday. IÃ¢â‚¬â„¢d like to believe that in every human being, there is a heart. I am attentive to my heart. It palpates, it pumps Truth. I canÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t explain it. So, I had this feeling about your dearest male friend. I canÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t explain it. I could just feel his vibes. weird, yeh? But I still would like to send him the hat. I sent Dad a variety of hats. The one Dad was proudest of was the UH hawaii one. At that time, hawaii had the undefeated team and it was the talk of the town in SF. Another great gift is sunglasses¦ aloha, Ã¢â‚¬â€œdenise

just published 3 weeks ago Ã¢â‚¬â€ KingLit is a voracious
reader of everything hyper-current.

The Twisted Sisterhood: Unraveling the Dark Legacy of Female Friendships

The Twisted Sisterhood: Unraveling the Dark Legacy of Female Friendships is a non-fiction book by essayist and attorney Kelly Valen published by Random House/Ballantine Books on October 26, 2010. The book is based on the authorÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s December 2007 New York Times article and includes the results of a womenÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s relationships survey the author conducted with 3000 women, studies and insights from experts in the fields of sociology, psychology, and neuroscience, and elements of humor, memoir and popular culture. The book is unrelated to and should not be confused with the Facebook womenÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s group, The Twisted Sisterhood, or the 1980s rock band, Twisted Sister.

KingLit feels that he knows dearest darling Denise Takashima. I say no. Denise is jesus incarnate. KingLit doesnÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t know this Ã¢â‚¬â€ yet. He shall know this shortly. KingLit has been around Ã¢â‚¬Å“da bullÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s a*s many times. HeÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s truly a ladiesÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ man. His only son Chris is Hollywood handsome/Apollo like Ã¢â‚¬Å“The Rock [Dwayne Johnson]. KingLitÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s ex-wife is African-American, and Chris is half African-American. KingLit also has 4 daughters.

From irascile naughty boy KingLit Ching born 1936 Ã¢â‚¬â€œ

I had a intimate lady friend tell me once that I have the feminine traits of Ã¢â‚¬Å“nurturing. Thi s surprised me because I am bombastic but I did take very good care of this female friend as we traveled around the world together. I guess she should know me pretty well. Being around a woman 24/7 does not give you a chance to hide your flaws and I have many. She had an endless list and reminded me of these flaws daily. She was some woman! Ã¢â‚¬â€œKL

______________________________________________________

Cogent Dean Edmoundson actuates that this inner soul is the Holy Spirit in us all, that we have a direct link to God, and that through prayer, surrender, and Faith in God, God talks to us all. This is the power of Faith, of Grace. And yes, the blessed power of Redemption, of love one and love all, no matter what the cause or outcome. No matter. Redemption. The quality of Mercy is not strained [Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice].

Grace shapes our ideas about suffering and healing. Grace shapes the way we apprehend human dilemmas and proceed in our attempts to ameliorate those dilemmas.

GodÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s Grace allows for Redemption, unearned and
unmerited, but for the Grace of God. We all fall
short, even the so-called best of us. Most unfortunate, but such is our indifferent human lot.
Yes, we try our best to be authentic, however clumsily we plod forward, and in this sense, as with life overall, Redemption is key, brought on by GodÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s Grace.

IÃ¢â‚¬â„¢d rather end my life saying I was too often a fool for the Hope of Redemption than to end my life proud of how fiercely I nurtured my indignation at those lesser than me in principle/integrity. And have we all not faced ourselves in the mirror, much less been the victims of adjudgers who in our/their fetid self-righteous postures judge down to ascend up their illusory poles of prideful opulence??!!

Jesus never donned a 3-piece suit. Does that make him less than you/me?? Will Donald Trump be remembered two thousand years from now as we worship Jesus and our Heavenly Father two thousand years after Jesus died for our sins?? Unlikely.

Pride/principle/integrity propounded as ethical elitism are hardly useful nor merited. They
swell in the head of one whose pride/ego excites in judging down anyone but oneself.

It is a profound walk to find the courage to be here at all. To scratch and claw for the truth. Fundamentally, the truth about myself, ourselves, lovely and unlovely. For we all fall short in our most unfortunate human condition. Though we try to be authentic, however disjointed we are.

To live for others is the way of the Bohisatva [Buddha nature], contary to egocentric & selfish domination of others in an indifferent world. Higan is the other shore in Mahayana [China/Japan/Korea] Buddhism, the pure land, vs. this shore of sufferng and ignorance. The 6 Paramitas or virtues characterize Higan Ã¢â‚¬â€ 1) selfless giving/charity;
2) righteous intent; 3) patience; 4) endure to the end; 5) mindfulness; 6) heartfulness. On charity/
Danna, Jataku Tales recite about the starving eagle who was ready to eat the pigeon. Bodhisatva saved the pigeon who was injured by the eagle, and instead gave the eagle plentiful food to satiate its hunger. On righteous intent, Bodhisatva promised a hobo that he would provide food for the hobo. But Bodhisatva was captured by a greedy king. Tremendous sorrow followed his capture. All Bodhisatva asked of his captor King was to provide food for the hobo as Bodhisatva had promised to the hobo. The King was so affected by BodhisatvaÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s righteousness/unselfish
creed, that the King released Bodhisatva to the sorrowful masses. On patience, Bodhisatva was at peace in the forest, when a King came along the footpath. The KingÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s retinue/consorts flocked to Bodhisatva, at which point the King got jealous and flogged and tortured Bodhisatva. But this victim endured to the end, at which point the King begged the heavens for forgiveness/pardon, upon which the King paid homage to his forsaken victim. On endure to the end, Daichidoron tells us that at once a prince lost his magical jewel which fed the poor in his kingdom, to the open sea. But the prince looked incessantly for the jewel, until the sea returned the jewel to him to feed his people most in need. One good act deserves another. And even if nothing happens in return, the solo unrequited act by the prince to look for the jewel for his people, or of the sea of kindness, stands the test of the Buddha. On mindfulness, Bodhisatva nestled the injured mother birdÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s eggs until the eggs hatched and the chicks lived to become hens and roosters themselves. Finally, on heartfulness, the King of India called on his minister to go afar to bring home wisdom, which the minister did by paying a high price for words of wisdom from a hobo. The hobo from beyond many horizons implored, Ã¢â‚¬Å“I will say this only once, since if I say it again and again, it means you are not listening Ã¢â‚¬â€ never lose your sense of simplicity, do not be egocentric. So that when the minister returned to the King of India [Hindu hegemony], the King was outraged at such insolence by a simpleton/
puddinÃ¢â‚¬â„¢head hobo who got paid big money for such Ã¢â‚¬Å“stupid advice. The King was so dementedly angry that his subjects/teeming masses revolted against him and overthrew him. Sadly, he realized too late that wisdom is invaluable, that all the coins/currency in the world cannot buy wisdom.

Sweet as sugar Denise Takashima cannot be bought like Yamashiro/Arakaki/Kenoi can be bought in politics. Neither can KingLit Ching be bought. You cannot buy wisdom.

A gentle heart or Buddhist gutoku, as one bespeaks humbleness, exemplify KingLit Ching and Denise Takashima. Especially the zenzai/wisdom suffused by angels on our shoulders Kinglit and Denise envelop us with comfort and succorance. This duo console and love tenderly us all ondobo to the end. Their spirit are consecrated touchstones for us all. As legend has it of Bodhisatva, an acolyte exclaimed, Ã¢â‚¬Å“If Buddha is pleased with my mission, this bamboo stick which I just poked upside down into the ground Ã¢â‚¬â€ will soon sprout branches and leaves!! And look, the upside bamboo became alive and grew!! Just as DeniseÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s/KingLitÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s wisdom grow inside of us. As we all are little children/hanamatsuri at heart, the bamboo grows within us.

From loving angelheart Denise Takashima Ã¢â‚¬â€œ

KingLit told me he was joking about being the lion. I responded, I waz the mouse that takes the splinter from the lionÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s paw! aloha,denise

From Curt Ã¢â‚¬â€ You amaze me, Denise. Oracle/crystal ball? Who r u? You emailed below before you/I knew about the fleeting nature of existence, that life can be taken away in a heartbeat!! Ã¢â‚¬â€

sometimes our blessings can be everyday treasures. they are the beautiful days filled with sunshine. they can be just the occurrence that you wake up in the morning and youÃ¢â‚¬â„¢re alive! we forget these tiny blessings. and the best blessings and cures can just be love from family and friends. i think of my dad, who never tried to be on the dais. what is that samurai saying? the secret of life is in the quietude. maybe finally iÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ve come to understand it! but then again, i rule americana style by : face your enemy!!!!!

From my inexplicably inspiring idol KingLit Ching born 1936 Ã¢â‚¬â€œ

It takes me a while to figure out your message but I think that I now Ã¢â‚¬Å“get it. Example, I had shared with you Dad Hung WaiÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s frustration because he could not talk to God. The same held true for Mother Theresa. However, both HW and Mother Theresa remained faithful as Christians. I told you that I can talk to God because I can see/sense whatÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s in GodÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s mind Ã¢â‚¬â€œ life itself, chemistry, physics, botany, the humanities, astrophysics, quantum mechanics, etc. Also recent theories such as string theory, theories about how black holes operate, dark matter, etc. I am captivated by the sheer violence in the Universe and in Galaxies. This relates to your comment about my Ã¢â‚¬Å“inner voice and Ã¢â‚¬Å“inner soul right? The great Protestant theologians were able to deal with these philosophical questions because they were not handicapped with hierarchal and ritual baggage. They could cut to the chase and use their incredibly powerful analytical skills like Stephen Hawking does. And Curtis can too. Ã¢â‚¬â€œKingLit

Hawking denies the existence of God. The Multi-verse
have no use for God, so to speak. KingLit says that even the sense of order/function must impel Hawking to be agnostic. No. It does not. KingLit remains bolted to the notion that Hawking is theistic/deistic.
Hawking is neither. Hawking is atheist. KingLit does not accept this. Asians are nihilistic and accept HawkingÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s empty heart assertion.

1. What is the meaning of life, in a sentence or

two?

2. What if any is the significance of death?

3. What will your metaphorical headstone say, in a

few words?

Just as I idolize Steven Kalas, who has a college degree in psychology and a masterÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s degree in theology, so do I say the same of KingLit Ching born 1936 Ã¢â‚¬â€

KingLit recites on such topics as conflict resolution, personality types, leadership, stress management and human wellness. His presentations are a delicious collision of laid-back warmth and razor-sharp analyses. He relentlessly pushes his devotees to find and choose the most authentic of themselves. He entertains. He inspires. Occasionally, he disturbs. People who hear him speak and read his missives him find it impossible not to think and feel in new ways.

KingLitÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s dad Rev. Hung Wai Ching 1905-2002 is the genesis of our 100th Battalion/442nd Regiment all-Japanese American soldiers WWII. Rev. Ching also is the genesis of our ILWU, having mentored Ã¢â‚¬ËœOpihikao native Jack Kawano, who started the ILWU. Rev. Ching via the 100th Batt./442nd Rescue of the Alamo Lost Battalion also is the genesis of our Statehood. Rev. Ching also is the trigger to the greatest case in U.S. Supreme Court history, Brown vs. Board of Education, in that Chief Justice Earl Warren in the 1954 unanimous decision always remorsed over Warren interning Japanese-Americans in WWII when Earl Warren was California attorney general in 1942.
Thence WarrenÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s make-up call via Brown vs. Board of Education. 99% of momentous events are make-up calls!

is this guy KingLit for real , or is he one of your symbolic writings?

CurtÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s reply Ã¢â‚¬â€ KingLit is as real as Jesus is;

KingLit born in 1936, son of Rev.

Hung Wai Ching 1905-2002

From magnanimous & gentlest soul Valerie Ã¢â‚¬â€œ

hi curt,

1) life is what God gave me, & He gave it, & He can take it

2)death is being with my Lord

3)i wonÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t be here¦ iÃ¢â‚¬â„¢m with Jesus now

as you can see, curt, iÃ¢â‚¬â„¢m not much for words.

1. What is the meaning of life, in a sentence or
two?
2. What if any is the significance of death?
3. What will your metaphorical headstone say, in a
few words

From humblest child of God Valerie. She truly is remarkable and gentlest of heart.

DonÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t walk in front of me, I may not follow. DonÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t walk behind me, I may not lead. Just walk beside me and be my dearest friend. [Curt’s note: Micah 6:8 — walk humbly hand in hand with God]

From audacious KingLit Ching Ã¢â‚¬â€œ

Curtis, thanks for reminding me of DadÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s [Hung Wai Ching’s] Ã¢â‚¬Å“mentoring of the labor movement in Hawaii and how he carefully navigated the fringes/borders between radical thinking and politically correct associations [Hung Wai the essential link between the docks–longshoremen–and Merchant St.’s godfather/ Hung Wai’s hanai father Frank Atherton 1877-1945]. I always jokingly accused Dad of being a Ã¢â‚¬Å“closet communist. Come to think of it, this is why I am a rad Ã¢â‚¬â€œ it is my legacy from Dad! Yes, we have already discussed Dad and Koji Ariyoshi (Honolulu Record radical newspaper), Jack Hall, Harry Bridges and the Smith Act indictments. I am not familiar with the Jack Kawano mentoring. Please enlighten me. [Jack Kawano 1911-1984 is the genesis of our ILWU — Jack was ousted by San Francisco’s Bridges for being a “Jap,” amid WWII Tojo/Hirohito insanity vs. U.S., in favor of Jack Hall 1915-1971 — Hung Wai fathered buddahead longshoremen to break their yokes of bondage from haole overlords/Big 5] So, I am merely the classic apple dropping close to the tree.

I think that I mentioned to you that I have just finished reading Masaji MarumotoÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s biography. Absolutely fascinating because it includes all of the personal letters Masaji sent to his wife in Kula and to son Wendell outlining his life and his immigrant fatherÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s life (originally from Nomi, Hiroshima who first contracted with the Paahau plantation outside of Hilo). I was like a peeping tom privy to his most intimate thoughts. He is a truly great man not only for his academic and civic achievements but for his sensitive and positive view of all people that he met (many with very solid backgrounds nationally). His only negative take was on Kotonks and he is vicious in his condemnation of their whining, unjustified sense of entitlement, and paranoia about discrimination (always complaining that their rights were being violated).

What really angered me was MasajiÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s description of their arrogance, aloofness and acting superior toward the Buddaheads. No wonder we kicked their a*s and conked their heads together. Reading MasajiÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s biography gave me a more detailed understanding of Hawaii immigration and the lifestyle of the immigrants. The only thing that turned me off was his bragging about being the first AJA for this and that. I was personally and emotionally involved when I visited Kona because Wendell had briefed me on the Marumoto Kona/Captain Cook experience and I visited the Marumoto store and theater sites. The AJA history in Kona is special because it took people from contract labor to independent merchants or coffee farmers and was the important source of future Hawaii leadership in business, politics and the professions. I have a hard time keeping track of Kona people.

I have discussed this book with Wendell and he is very critical of the author, Dennis M. Ogawa, for not including people who were the most important ones in the critical phases in his life. Two prime examples are Dad and Katsumi Kometani. Dad is only mentioned once as a member of the famous McKinley class of 1924 with Chinn Ho and Hiram Fong. Katsumi is not mentioned at all. Anyway, it was a very worthwhile reading for me. Regards, Ã¢â‚¬â€œKingLit

Thank you, Valerie, via MaxineÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s missives Ã¢â‚¬â€ Ã¢â‚¬Å“Satanists donÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t scare me Ã¢â‚¬â€ Greater is He [Jesus]
who is within me, than He [Satan] who comes at me from without. My Peace I give you. John 14:27

Franklin Odo born 1939 donÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t wanna make waves Ã¢â‚¬â€ this is our Japanese style.

Undertowing this is that even 1 drop blood ethnic Hawaiians Ã¢â‚¬â€œ20% of our

to make up for our egregious indifference to Hawaiians and the spirit of the

islands, our ubiquitous Aloha Spirit. Also, the recent Kamehameha School litigation forces Kamehameha School to practice what it preaches, to benefit especially disenfranched/dispossessed impoverished kids, thanks to our U.S. ConstitutionÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s 13th Amdt. which forces private outfits to play fair and not just government agencies. Thus, you have the paradox of aggressive-

passive syndrome, where we make up for our abuse of Hawaiians via our

1978 Con-Con [today’s OHA/Alu Like/etc.], but in overdoing it, we wonder if

weÃ¢â‚¬â„¢re indifferent to other ethnic populations who deserve fair play/equal

opportunity by law.

This is my response to KingLit Ching, whoÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s high on Jason Scott LeeÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s Toward Living Pono [balance], and who got Franklin OdoÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s quip to it.

Hey KingLit,
I agree basically Ã¢â‚¬â€œ but beware unduly romanticizing the old Native world. And demonizing our Ã¢â‚¬Å“newcomer ancestors, too much. But, yes, boy do we have lots of learning and work to do to make things a bit more Ã¢â‚¬Å“pono. Ã¢â‚¬â€œFranklin

To KingLit Ã¢â‚¬â€ Pono is balance, not righteousness. Meaning that our make-up call for our oppression of

Hawaiians is pono. Righteousness is to treat everyone the same/equally. Righteousness

occurs once pono is calibrated. KingLit, Jason Scott Lee lives right here in Volcano. He is

a movie star, not a historian. Just the same, he is Jason Scott Lee our everyday joe,

You are not addressing my issue about pono. I am not talking about entitlements or Ã¢â‚¬Å“quotas e.g. Kam school, Hawaiian Homes. I am speaking about authentic cultural Hawaiian history; respect for the land. It is an historical/educational mandate. It is getting Hawaiian history right like the issue of the state of Virginia not acknowledging slavery initially until there was a huge outcry nationally. Globally, we have problems with the victors writing history and the vanquished perspective being ignored.

Which ethnic populations in Hawaii are you referring to that deserve fair play/equal opportunity by law, Blacks? [the most recent arrivals, including Whites!, but more so Asian & South Pacific folks like Vietnamese and Micronesians] Unfortunately, we screwed the Hawaiians back in 1893 and there is no way we can turn the clock back. Regards, KingLit P.S. Franklin, you mentored me in becoming a rad[ical].

A Renaissance Page of Lists omitting KingLit Ching born 1936 would be a terrible oversight. Dionysian KingLit easily is the most mind-blowing of them all.
KingLit is a taboo-breaker who mines shockingly political intrigue [as in pronouncing Black Liberation Theology via Jeremiah Wright’s hypnotic spell over an impressionable younger Barack Obama — KingLit’s puzzle of liberation or subjugation?], the Ã¢â‚¬Å“transgressional anchoring KingLitÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s raison dÃ¢â‚¬â„¢etre.

If anything, KingLitÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s paradox boogie vamp [orgasmic vs. banal] a la Nietzsche at once makes order in the Apollonian sense of his chaotic Dionysian Fate, yet KingLit dies unfulfilled in the end, unnaturally via Apollo. Such Grecian tragedy allows us to sense an underlying essence, NietzscheÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s Ã¢â‚¬Å“Primordial Unity which restores our Dionysian holistic nature Ã¢â‚¬â€œ which is indescribably/unthinkably pleasurable. Though Nietzsche later dropped this theme saying it was Ã¢â‚¬Å¦burdened with all the errors of youth [Nietzsche’s “Attempt at Self Criticism”], the overarching theme was a metaphysical solace or connection to the heart of Creation, so to speak.
As in our Polynesian over-vowel language of creation Ã¢â‚¬â€ ooh [as in “you”], aaah, oh!! Onomatopoeia [vowels are the sounds of creation].

In Greek mythology, Apollo and Dionysus are both sons of Zeus. Apollo is the god of the Sun, music, and poetry, while Dionysus is the god of wine, ecstasy, and intoxication. In the modern literary usage of the concept, the contrast between Apollo and Dionysus symbolizes principles of individualism versus collectivism, light versus darkness, or civilization versus primitivism. The ancient Greeks did not consider the two gods to be opposites or rivals.

Eastern/Asian Ki, where eternal truths originate & permeate thru our senses [2″inside of the navel], parallel Grecian morality plays/hamartia, seen as an error in judgment or unwitting mistake as applied to the actions of the tragic failed hero. For example, the hero might attempt to achieve a certain objective X; by making an error in judgment, however, the hero instead achieves the opposite of X, with disastrous consequences.

Frankl identified anticipatory anxiety, a fear of a given outcome which makes that outcome more likely. To relieve the anticipatory anxiety and treat the resulting neuroses, logotherapy [logo is Grecian meaning] offers paradoxical intention, wherein the patient intends to do the opposite of his hyper-intended goal.

So that President Obama needs to heed his inner voice, not his intellectual entropy, & get our troops out of Afghanistan instead of achieving endless war via troop surges, which are the opposite of his objective of withdrawal from Afghanistan, resulting in disastrous consequences.

In ancient Grecian hamartia we see the background of more modern thought, the view that all wrong action of men stems from ignorance, which can be removed by education, and thus avoiding any thought of personal responsibility. Greek tragedy/parable are based on understandable mistakes, not cardinal sins postulated in later Christian texts. Thence the cathartic effect of Grecian vicarious tragedy/heroic failure Ã¢â‚¬â€¢ to empathize/learn from the characterÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s mistakes,

& to prevent them from recurring. Sempai KondoÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s definition of Grecian tragedy can include a change of fortune from bad to good as in the Eumenides, but Sempai iterates that the change from good to bad as in Oedipus Rex is preferable because this arouses deep pity and fear within the spectators. Tragedy results in a catharsis [emotiona cleansing] or healing for the audience through the experience/absorption of these emotions/energy in response to the suffering of the characters in the drama. Such cleansing/purification/vicarious embodiment of tragedy hopefully avert recurrence of such tragedy in the future.

The factor obviously lacking in this philosophy, from the Christian view, is the will, by which man expresses his defiance of God and his Word. GOPs will have a field day vs. President Obama at his re-election 2012 Ã¢â‚¬â€¢ our war-weary nation wants our troops to come home. President Obama needs to be decisive and overrrule his military commanders.

I see nothing to indicate decisiveness/swift action on his part this past year. As is evident, Grecian hamartia/tragedy Obama-thology is playing out its sequel Ã¢â‚¬â€¢ an indecisive President to date, unable to break free of his yoke to entrenched war profiteers/military commanders. President Truman broke free of TrumanÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s military-industrial complex resulting in the suicide of Sec. of Defense military man Jim Forrestal [but Forrestal correctly was fearful of Stalin’s imperialist expansionism]. President Obama needs to be GiveÃ¢â‚¬â„¢m Hell Harry, not quagmire-stuck LBJ. Lest Obama-thology culminates its Grecian oracle/omen.

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Kara/Hara OneÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s center of mass, located about 2³ inside of the navel, the location of the spirit/mind/(source of KI). Martial art techniques should be executed as much as possible from or through oneÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s HARA.

For women, their anatomical center Ã¢â‚¬Å“Ki or Ã¢â‚¬Å“hara, as the Japanese call it, is located about two inches inside of their naval. A womanÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s physical center rests just on top of the pelvic girdle and as such, like a pyramid, their gravitational foundation is often superior to tha of most men. Perhaps because women bare children, women tend to be more intuitively in touch with their hara C their physical and psychological center. And, again, since the hips are where the power of Aikido techniques come from, that may explain why so many women seem to pick up on the subtleties of Aikido somewhat faster than men do.

______________________________________________________

Especially in basketball, females have difficulty

bending their knees as opposed to males, while defending vs. their offensive foes. The female center of gravity is lower than the male, so that mobility/explosiveness are inhibited in the lower extremity. Female torsos are created for strength, ergo childbirth, not quickness ergo male hunter role. Which is why females have much greater incidences of ACL injuries than males.

Keoki Kai (born 1965) is a great basketball coach, like his brilliant dad PeeWee Kai (1940-1996). Keoki has a whole different approach to coach females as oppose to males. One element being the different outcomes based on physiology. DonÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t overdo the knee bends/side torques. Keoki just happens to be among our greatest astute political observers, both locally & nationally, better than pundits/scholars quoted by our unknowing scribes. Keoki is a man for all seasons, pololei.

Ki or qi is described to be 2 inches inside the belly button. Such site is where George Yokoyama born 1926, AbercrombieÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s Yoda, oracled AbercrombieÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s tiff vs. Aiona. Yes, as inherently pessimistic Isamu Kanekuni born 1921, mind sharp as a razor like Yokoyama, at age 89 Isamu looks only 59, says about Yokoyama, GeorgeÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s choice either way is a plus for George Ã¢â‚¬â€ Ab wins, GeorgeÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s yamato damashii/fighting spirit to the death won it for Ab Ã¢â‚¬â€ Ab loses, George told us so!! Nonetheless, unlike pessimist Isamu, I say it was GeorgeÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s refusal to tempt overconfidence/
complacency which won over Abercrombie to voters. As you know, during the 11 day hiatus in which AbÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s top stripes took a vacation after the ultra-fight vs. malicious Mufi, it was George alone who pounded the pavement in never-say-die fashion Ã¢â‚¬â€ high energy George never let up Ã¢â‚¬â€ it was during this time that George predicted AbercrombieÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s loss to Aiona, the last weeks of September. I had Abercrombie ahead by 6 points from Sept. 19 to Nov. 2, but George refused to accept my rose-colored glass view. Of course, independent plunkers for Abercrombie numbered 78,000
vs. AionaÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s 56,000, which enabled Abercrombie to win easily by a 16% margin [reported as 17% this morning].
______________________________________________________

As to Obamathology, I love Francis FukuyamaÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s synthesis that democratic vs. communist ideologies are passeÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ Ã¢â‚¬â€ but regional conflicts such as in oil rich Middle East countries impact us all
globally because of our mission for oil to run our nation. Any vital region [per Fukuyama’s Reagan Doctrine, which precocious 1952-born Fukuyama in part germinated] always fuels wider conflict, exacerbated by our imperialist expansionism. Fukuyama is my age peer, as is Keaukaha boy Ed Case.

As a key Reagan Administration contributor to the formulation of the Reagan Doctrine, Fukuyama is an important figure in the rise of neoconservatism. He is a silent partner you never hear about, unlike younger President BushÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s notorious waterboarder Korean John Yoo born 1967.

Obamathology is my construct of President ObamaÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s legacy, tragic for our KIAs/WIAs and their loved ones, tragic for President Obama as our civilian commander in chief. I visualize President ObamaÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s timeline in accordance with ancient Greek tragedy/hamartia. Coincidental that NYT scribe Gurwitz describes what we know as Grecian hamartia/failed hero as a 4 stage sequence Ã¢â‚¬â€ 1) koros, the protagonistÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s honeymoon period; 2) hubris, protagonistÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s escalated/excessive
pride which offends the god; 3) ate, the folly/miscue event; 4) nemesis, retributive destruction. Other than my Obamathology, Gurwitz is the only person who couches current politics in Grecian chronology, though he does not refer to hamartia [human condition’s miscue] as our DNA retro trait. GOP Gurwitz postulates that ObamaÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s win 2008 was the Democrat bliss, then came Capitol HillÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s hubris [spend/spend/spend –tax/tax/tax], then the ate-fallout [voter resentment at Dems’ failure to turn around the economic doldrum-unemployment], and last week the finality-nemesis, in which GOPs regained the House, and but for the Tea Party incursionists, so too would the GOP have captured the Senate. My Obamathology spots-on war, KIAs/WIAs,
in which pacifist Obama needs to lead boldly in upending war-profiteer Pentagon. Obama is our failed
hero/protagonist because, like LBJ, Obama mantles his inflated art of compromise/consensus, over common sense pragmatism/reality. Get us out of Afghanistan ASAP, not next year or the year after. Afghanistan does not serve our vital interests.

Sempai Kondo has been described as one of the most controversial writers. While his body of writing/coda often have sought to represent unspoken Hawaiian perspectives, his energy and advocacy have centered more broadly on international class struggles of peoples and their perspectives irrespective of their cultural origins. Sempai by exemplar is more Malcolm X than MLK.

On Gertrud Kolmar, Patrick Bridgwater, citing the great range of her imagery and verse forms, and the passionate integrity which runs through her body of writings, writes that she was “Ã‹Å“one of the great poets of her time, and perhaps the greatest woman poet ever to have written in German.’ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gertrud_Kolmar#Literary_Standing

My Gaze Is Turned Inward: Letters 1934-1943, Kolmar comes to terms with the madness of humanity by withdrawing within herself. A chilled quietude amid such unthinkable horror of the Pogrom which ends her life overcomes the reader as Kolmar ends her missive by reaching out to assure, “I hold your hand in mine.”

Sempai comes to terms with the insanity of existence
by withdrawing within himself. A chilled quietude amid despair and soul-killing desperation
is interrupted but by the righteousness of his cause, freedom/liberation from class peonage cultural oppression.

A riff is the series of notes, chord pattern or musical phrase that are repeated. Riff is used in such genres as pop, rock and jazz. An example of a song that has a memorable riff is “Smoke on the Water” played by Ritchie Blackmore of Deep Purple. This song has a rock riff that is played using the G pentatonic scale (G, A, B, D, E). It is memorable yet simple to play, that’s why it’s so popular and most beginning electric guitar players learn to play it first.

When we speak of classical music however, we call the repeated musical phrase or pattern ostinato. One of the most popular example of this is “Canon in D” by Pachelbel. “Canon in D” is one of the most recognizable pieces of classical music and uses the chord progression Dmaj-Amaj-Bmin-F#min-Gmaj-Dmaj-Gmaj-Amaj.

Borges commented that “poets, like the blind, can see in the dark.” Borges wrote: “When I think of what I’ve lost, I ask, “Ã‹Å“Who knows themselves better than the blind?’ “Ã¢â‚¬Å“ for every thought becomes a tool.” The poems of his late period dialogue with such cultural figures as Spinoza, LuÃƒÆ’­s de CamÃƒÆ’µes, and Virgil. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jorge_Luis_Borges

Sempai evokes that poets, like the blind, can see
in the dark, where every thought becomes a tool. Who knows better than the blind? Sempai’s universal truths of grace, sympathy, concern, consideration, & compassion ring afar apast to Homer, Ovid, Euripides, & Dante. Ai 🙂

Losers like King simply are sour grapes. Pat Fukuda Saiki of Kilauea Ave. knows better than to endorse any misanthrope tea bagger like a Bachmann/Williams.

“What I saw was a vote for the status quo all around,” said Republican Adrienne King, a defeated tea party candidate for lieutenant governor. “If voters vote the same way, why would the people who get elected the same old way think that voters want a change?”

It was sad to watch Mufi Hannemann’s concession speech on election night. Sad because it’s hard to see a big character like that struggling to come to terms with his comeuppance, and sad because despite all his graceful conceding, he still doesn’t get it.

“Shakespeare said it best: “Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all,'” Hannemann said.

Actually, Tennyson wrote that.

“¦ a great person does not dally with the many instances of juvenile jeering from his campaign like the infamous “Compare and Decide” mailer and the website that crudely mocked rival Neil Abercrombie and his wife. A great person rises above the muck and brushes off what doesn’t matter. A great person does not see every bit of criticism as attempted murder.

“Mind your speech lest you should mar your fortunes,” King Lear tells his daughter in Shakespeare’s play. The infamous “I look like you” speech was off-putting even to those who do look like Hannemann. He lost this election because of his own words, not because of anything anyone said about him.

“It is not the stars that hold our destiny but in ourselves.”

But we need him at his humble servant best, working for the good of everyone, not expending so much energy to smack down any and all opposition. Change is possible; look at Neil Abercrombie’s makeover. Not just the hair and the beard, but the whole image. The loudmouth in the yellow taxi came off as thoughtful and sincere compared with Hannemann’s incendiary ego.

If Hannemann can learn from this defeat, take the true message to heart and come back a changed man, a man able to take criticism and devoted to a clean campaign, he can win. As Shakespeare said, “Let me embrace thee, sour adversity, for wise men say it is the wisest course.”

Sempai certainly can salve & soothe a soul or two or
three, or even three thousand, for that matter.

Ferdowsi is one of the undisputed giants of Persian literature. After Ferdowsi’s ShÃƒâ€žhnÃƒâ€žmeh a number of other works similar in nature surfaced over the centuries within the cultural sphere of the Persian language. Without exception, all such works were based in style and method on Ferdowsi’s ShÃƒâ€žhnÃƒâ€žmeh, but none of them could quite achieve the same degree of fame and popularity as Ferdowsi’s masterpiece.

Ferdowsi was commissioned by Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni to write a book about his valour and conquests. However, the poet, though dedicating the book to the King for an agreed fee of 30 horses loaded with gold coins, decided to tell the story of the Kings that had made the land of Persia into an Empire throughout the ages. This task was to take the poet some thirty years or more, during which he included the verse:
” “¦ I suffered during these thirty years, but I have revived the Iranians (Ajam) with the Persian language; I shall not die since I am alive again, as I have spread the seeds of this language “¦ “

He had left behind a poem for the King, stuck to the wall of the room he had worked in for all those years. It was a long and angry poem, more like a curse, and ended with the words:

“Heaven’s vengeance will not forget. Shrink tyrant from my words of fire, and tremble at a poet’s ire.”

Ferdowsi is said to have died around 1020 in poverty.

Some say that Ferdowsi’s daughter inherited what little there was of her father’s hard earned money, and she built a new and strong bridge with a beautiful stone caravanserai nearby for travelers to rest and trade and tell stories.

Sempai’s spiritual progeny provided a gathering place for wayfinders to rest and be caressed by lore of hither and yonder. Ai! 🙂

For that land where a scrap of bread is picked up
From the ground out of reverence
For Heaven’s gifts”¦
I am homesick, Lord!”¦

For the land where it’s a great travesty
To harm a stork’s nest in a pear tree,
For storks serve us all”¦
I am homesick, Lord!”¦

For the land where we greet each other
In the ancient Christian custom:
“May Christ’s name be praised!”
I am homesick, Lord!”¦

I long still for yet another thing, likewise innocent,
For I no longer know where to find
My abode”¦
I am homesick, Lord!

For worrying-not and thinking-not,
For those whose yes means yes “ and no means no “
Without shades of grey”¦
I am homesick, Lord!

I long for that distant place, where someone cares for me!
It must be thus, though my friendship
Will never come to pass!”¦
I am homesick, Lord!

Cyprian Kamil Norwid, a.k.a. Cyprian Konstanty Norwid (September 24, 1821″Ã¢â‚¬Å“ May 23, 1883) is a nationally esteemed Polish poet, dramatist, painter, and sculptor. Norwid led a tragic and often poverty-stricken life (once he had to live in a cemetery crypt). He experienced increasing health problems, unrequited love, harsh critical reviews, and increasing social isolation. He lived abroad most of his life, especially in London and in Paris, where he died.

On 24 September 2001, 118 years after his death in France, an urn containing soil from the collective grave where Norwid had been buried, from the Paris cemetery of Montmorency, was enshrined in the “Crypts of the Bards” at Wawel Cathedral.

The cathedral’s Zygmunt Bell, heard only when events of great national and religious significance occur, resounded loudly to mark the poet’s return to his homeland. During a special Thanksgiving Mass held at the cathedral, the Archbishop of KrakÃƒÆ’³w said the doors of the crypt of bards have opened “to receive the great poet, Cyprian Norwid, into Wawel’s royal cathedral, for he was the equal of kings.”

Norwid’s most prodigious work, Vade-mecum, written between 1858 and 1865, was first published a century after his death.

Sempai Kondo experienced increasing health problems, harsh critical reviews, and social
isolation. Nonetheless, Divinity welcomed
his return to Provenance and received him at
the Crypt of Bards, for he was the equal of
kings. The Bell of Celestia rang proudly
to mark his return.

In transition from nature to existence,
walls are rather unkind,
walls wet from the urine of talents, walls bespattered
by eunuchs revolting against the spirit, walls not diminished
even though they may not yet be born,
and still walls already rounding out the fruit of the womb”¦

He had a daughter KateÃƒâ€¦Ã¢â€žÂ¢ina born in 1949 in his bad years and in addition to the social problems she suffered from Down’s syndrome (he wrote a poem called Bajaja for her which is with Jaroslav Seifert’s Maminka one of the basic Czech children poetical works of Czech modern literature “Ã¢â‚¬Å“ also illustrated by JiÃƒâ€¦Ã¢â€žÂ¢ÃƒÆ’­ Trnka. When she died in 1977, Holan lost the sense of life and ceased writing. In the last years of his life he lived in reclusive poverty in the very heart of Prague on the island of Kampa. He died in a Kampa flat in 1980 and was buried in OlÃƒâ€¦¡any Cemetery.

The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, or more simply Hamlet, is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1599 and 1601. The play, set in Denmark, recounts how Prince Hamlet exacts revenge on his uncle Claudius for murdering the old King Hamlet, Claudius’ own brother and Prince Hamlet’s father, and then succeeding to the throne and marrying Gertrude, the King Hamlet’s widow and mother of Prince Hamlet. The play vividly charts the course of real and feigned madness”from overwhelming grief to seething rage”and explores themes of treachery, revenge, incest, and moral corruption.

Freud concludes that Hamlet has an Oedipal desire for his mother and the subsequent guilt is preventing him from murdering the man Claudius who has done what he unconsciously wanted to do. Confronted with his repressed desires, Hamlet realizes that he himself is literally no better than the sinner whom he is to punish. Freud suggests that Hamlet’s apparent distaste for sexuality “articulated in his “nunnery” conversation with Ophelia” accords with this interpretation. John Barrymore introduced Freudian overtones into his landmark 1922 production in New York, which ran for a record-breaking 101 nights.

Ernest Jones”a psychoanalyst and Freud’s biographer”developed Freud’s ideas into a series of essays that culminated in his book Hamlet and Oedipus (1949). Influenced by Jones’s psychoanalytic approach, several productions have portrayed the “closet scene,” where Hamlet confronts his mother in her private quarters, in a sexual light. In this reading, Hamlet is disgusted by his mother’s “incestuous” relationship with Claudius while simultaneously fearful of killing him, as this would clear Hamlet’s path to his mother’s bed. Ophelia’s madness after her father’s death may also be read through the Freudian lens: as a reaction to the death of her hoped-for lover, her father. She is overwhelmed by having her unfulfilled love for him so abruptly terminated and drifts into the oblivion of insanity.

Feminists posit that no clear evidence suggests that Gertrude is an adulteress: she is merely adapting to the circumstances of her husband’s death for the good of the kingdom.

Ophelia has also been defended by feminist critics, most notably Elaine Showalter. Ophelia is surrounded by powerful men. Conventional theories had argued that without these powerful men making decisions for her, Ophelia is driven into madness. Feminist theorists argue that she goes mad with guilt because, when Hamlet kills her father [not Hamlet’s uncle but the advisor], he has fulfilled her sexual desire to have Hamlet kill her father so they can be together.

Hilo’s Juliet Kono never let fame/fortune get to
her head. Total opposite from Kapoho’s full of
herself Frances Kakugawa. Juliet always encourages
& supports others. You see such metaphysical purity
in Juliet’s remarkable body of work/coda. Juliet
is our treasured laureate. No one comes close to
Juliet, in writing or in her nature.

Sempai Kondo evokes universal truths of sympathy, grace, concern, consideration, compassion “
timeless qualities of spiritual salvation, not
in the God is real sense, but of the heart and
soul “ alma y corazon. Sempai’s poetry and
prose, though always conflagrationist, incite
deep reflection/contemplation, just as extraordinary
writer Juliet Kono’s subtle and nuanced expressions
manifest revisiting and questioning out of pure
innocence and curiosity our axioms on morality and
conventional behavior. Actually, Sempai is a
paradigm/model for Juliet’s introspective views
thru her writings on evolving cultural/societal
values and beliefs. Juliet, like Boston Blackie
Nakasato, comes from the bridge generation/pre- and
early WWII born kids that experienced haole/Luso
subjugation, only to enjoy affluence amid today’s post-Statehood society. Juliet’s cross-cultural
perspectives suffuse brilliantly thru her body of
writing. Sempai comes from the Vietnam War as a combat veteran, and Sempai’s muqaddimah/study of truth embodies relentless revolt against convention/blind obedience.

“We shall often find that not only the best, but the most individual parts of a poet’s work, may be those in which the dead poets, his ancestors, assert their immortality most vigorously.”

Literary scholar Peter Childs sums up the complexity:

“There were paradoxical if not opposed trends towards revolutionary and reactionary positions, fear of the new and delight at the disappearance of the old, nihilism and fanatical enthusiasm, creativity and despair.”

These oppositions are inherent to modernism: it is in its broadest cultural sense the assessment of the past as different vs. the modern age, the recognition that the world is becoming more complex, and that the old “final authorities” (God, government, science, and reason) are subject to intense critical scrutiny.

Dearest heartfelt Juliet symbolizes an age of
innocence and eternal beauty amid the carnage
of the present, and despite today’s insanity,
Juliet’s characters’ purity of spirit persevere
and adapt.

Sempai Kondo symbolizes that not only the best, but the most individual parts of a poet’s work, may be those in which the dead poets, his ancestors, assert their immortality most vigorously, via axioms of
grace, compassion, mercy, selfless sacrifice, and forgiveness.

And yet, on their surface, Sempai’s coda/opus’ most controversial aspect is rejection of tradition. Sempai’s stress on freedom of expression, experimentation, radicalism, and primitivism disregards conventional expectations. In today’s art forms these mean startling and alienating audiences with bizarre and unpredictable effects, as in the strange and disturbing combinations of motifs in surrealism or the use of extreme dissonance and atonality in writings.

Like great Luso wordsmith Saramago, Sempai deserves praise for “parables sustained by imagination, compassion and irony”, and his “modern scepticism” about official truths.

Sempai’s flaneur ergo complete philosophical way of living and thinking and a process of navigating erudition is best described by Nassim Nicholas Taleb’s essay on “why I walk” in the second edition of The Black Swan (2010).

Sempai is among our few writers who focus on sadness and loss in our everyday lives of ordinary people “ often lower-middle class or isolated and marginalized people “ who represent Henry David Thoreau’s idea of living lives of “quiet desperation.” Authors working within this genre tend to eschew adverbs and prefer allowing context to dictate meaning. The characters in minimalist stories and novels tend to be unexceptional, such as in Sempai’s “Secret Gardens of Puna” and “Braddah, you gotta’ leave!”

During the mid-1970s, Jayne Ann Phillips left West Virginia for California, embarking on a cross-country trip that would lead to numerous jobs, experiences, and encounters that would greatly affect her fiction, with its focus on lonely, lost souls and struggling survivors.

In a brief interview shortly before her death, Jean Rhys questioned whether any novelist, not least herself, could ever be happy for any length of time. She said that: “If I could choose I would rather be happy than write “¦ If I could live my life all over again, and choose “¦ “ She died in Exeter on May 14, 1979 before completing her autobiography. In 1979, the incomplete text appeared posthumously under the title Smile Please: An Unfinished Autobiography.

In correspondence released by her family for the first time to her biographer, Daphne du Maurier explained to a trusted few her own unique slant on her sexuality: her personality, she explained, comprised two distinct people”the loving wife and mother (the side she showed to the world) and the lover (a decidedly male energy) hidden to virtually everyone and the power behind her artistic creativity. According to the biography, du Maurier believed the male energy was the demon that fueled her creative life as a writer. Forster maintains that it became evident in personal letters revealed after her death, however, that du Maurier’s denial of her bisexuality unveiled a homophobic fear of her true nature.

With EVERYDAY IS VETERAN’S DAY, Sempai Kondo became
more challenging, paring down his texts to give ever-
increasing importance to what was not said. Unlike writers of Kapoho’s Frances Kakugawa’s ilk who choose to become prisoners of their own self-adulating narratives, Sempai’s affinity w/Duras’ experiencing the degradation of the masses catalyzed his explosive writing style today, mirroring the madness and mayhem of war. Just as Duras’
theme of love between people of different races esp. White & Asian runs through many of her works [Duras fell in love w/an older Chinese man in her teens], Duras eschewed convention, witness ergo her titlular 1st novel “The Impudent Ones.” Witness Sempai’s great riff “The Secret Gardens of Puna,” a masterpiece of recurrent soul-searching on life’s mission, be it war or peace, garroting or gardening. 🙁 Ai!!

Elizabeth Gaskell urged comprehension and tolerance toward all religions and, even though Gaskell tried to keep her own beliefs hidden, she felt strongly about these values, which permeated her works”as in North and South, where “Margaret the Churchwoman, her father the Dissenter, Higgins the Infidel, knelt down together. It did them no harm.”

Sigrid Undset was a shy, rather introverted young woman with few personal friends. But she had unusually sharp eyes, she saw people, and she saw through them. Her way of breaking out of her loneliness was to take long strolls in and around Kristiania, both east and west, and she came to know it better than most. Her contemporary novels of the period 1907-1918 include all this -“the city and its insignificant inhabitants, the monotonous boarding house existence of secretaries in a gloomy town, their longing for a little warmth and love, and their brave, not to say heroic, rejection of seediness. These are the stories of working people, of trivial family destinies, of the relationship between parents and children, written with warmth, but soberly, and completely unsentimentally. Her main subjects are women and their love. Or, as she herself put it”in her typically ironic manner “ “the immoral kind” (of love).

Sempai was a rather introverted young boy with few personal friends. But he had unusually sharp eyes, he saw people, and he saw through them. His way of breaking out of loneliness was to take long strolls in and around windward areas, both north and south, and he came to know them better than most. His chronicles include all these -“the city and its insignificant inhabitants, the monotonous boarding house existence of the common lot in a gloomy town, their longing for a little warmth and love, and their brave, not to say heroic, rejection of seediness. These are the stories of working people, of trivial family destinies, of the relationship between parents and children, written with warmth, but soberly, and completely unsentimentally. His main subjects are families and their love. Or, as he himself put it”in his typically ironic manner “ “the unrewarded kind” (of love). Love is not about sacrifice, but about wanting completely to give of your heart and your soul to another. Love is not outcome dependent, just as Faith is not.

When she published her more openly lesbian novel Mrs. Stevens Hears the Mermaids Singing in 1965, May Sarton feared, rightly, that writing so strongly about lesbianism would lead to a diminution of the previously established value of her work. “The fear of homosexuality is so great that it took courage to write Mrs. Stevens Hears the Mermaids Singing,” she wrote in Journal of Solitude 1973, “to write a novel about a woman homosexual who is not a sex maniac, a drunkard, a drug-taker, or in any way repulsive, to portray a homosexual who is neither pitiable nor disgusting, without sentimentality “¦”{Journal of Solitude, 1973. Pg.90-91}

Many of Edith Wharton’s novels are characterized by a subtle use of dramatic irony. Having grown up in upper-class pre-World War I society, Wharton became one of its most astute critics. In such works as The House of Mirth and The Age of Innocence she employed both humor and profound empathy to describe the lives of New York’s upper-class and the vanishing of their world in the early years of the 20th century. In contrast, she used a harsher tone in her novel Ethan Frome to convey the atmosphere of lower-class rural Massachusetts.

Tragic irony is a special category of dramatic irony. In tragic irony, the words and actions of the characters contradict the real situation, which the spectators fully realize.

Ancient Greek drama was especially characterized by tragic irony because the audiences were so familiar with the legends that most of the plays dramatized. Sophocles’ Oedipus the King provides a classic example of tragic irony at its fullest.

Linda Hutcheon suggests that irony threatens authoritative models of discourse, by removing the semantic security of the one signifier “Ã¢â‚¬Å“ one signified equivalency.

Irony has some of its foundation in the onlooker’s perception of paradox that arises from insoluble problems. For example, in the William Shakespeare play Romeo and Juliet, when Romeo finds Juliet in a drugged death-like sleep, he assumes her to be dead and kills himself. Upon awakening to find her dead lover beside her, Juliet stabs herself with a dagger.

Irony of fate (cosmic irony)

The expression “irony of fate” stems from the notion that the gods (or the Fates) are amusing themselves by toying with the minds of mortals with deliberate ironic intent. Closely connected with situational irony, it arises from sharp contrasts between reality and human ideals, or between human intentions and actual results. The resulting situation is poignantly contrary to what was expected or intended. More recently in English, the mere “coincidental or unexpected” has been called ironic, and this usage appears to be gaining ground.

Historical irony includes inventors killed by their own creations, such as William Bullock [printing press] “Ã¢â‚¬Å“ unless, due to the nature of the invention, the risk of death was always known and accepted, as in the case of Otto Lilienthal.

Lilienthal’s research was well known to the Wright brothers, and they credited him as a major inspiration for their decision to pursue manned flight. However, they abandoned his aeronautical data after two seasons of gliding and began using their own wind tunnel data.

Of all the men who attacked the flying problem in the 19th century, Otto Lilienthal was easily the most important. “¦ It is true that attempts at gliding had been made hundreds of years before him, and that in the nineteenth century, Cayley, Spencer, Wenham, Mouillard, and many others were reported to have made feeble attempts to glide, but their failures were so complete that nothing of value resulted.
“Ã¢â‚¬Å“”Wilbur Wright

On 9 August, 1896, Lilienthal’s glider lost its lift and he fell from a height of 17 m (56 ft). He died of a broken spine the following day in Berlin, saying, “Kleine Opfer mÃƒÆ’¼ssen gebracht werden!” (“Small sacrifices must be made!”). He was buried at Lankwitz Cemetery in Berlin.

In September 1909 Orville Wright was in Germany making demonstration flights at Tempelhof aerodrome. He paid a call to Lilienthal’s widow and on behalf of himself and Wilbur paid tribute to Lilienthal for his influence in aviation and on their own initial experiments in 1899.

West grew up in a home filled with discussions of world affairs. Her father was a journalist who often involved himself in controversial issues. He brought home Russian revolutionaries and other political activists, and their debates helped to form West’s sensibility, which took shape in novels such as The Birds Fall Down, set in pre-revolution Russia. But the crucial event that molded West’s politics was the Dreyfus Affair. The impressionable Rebecca learned early on just how powerful was the will to persecute minorities and to subject individuals to unreasonable suspicion based on flimsy evidence and mass frenzy. West had a keen understanding of the psychology of politics, how movements and causes could sustain themselves on the profound need to believe or disbelieve in a core of values”even when that core contradicted reality.

It would seem that her father’s ironic, sceptical temper so penetrated her sensibility that she could not regard any body of ideas as other than a starting point for argument. Although she was a militant feminist and active suffragette, and published a perceptive and admiring profile of Emmeline Pankhurst, West also criticized the tactics of Pankhurst’s daughter, Christabel, and the sometimes doctrinaire aspects of the Pankhursts’ Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU).

Relationship with her son
West’s relationship with her son, Anthony Panther West, was not a happy one. The rancor between them came to a head when Anthony, himself a gifted writer, his father’s biographer (H. G. Wells: Aspects of a Life [1984]), and a novelist of some repute, published Heritage (1955), a fictionalized autobiography. West never forgave her son for depicting in Heritage the relationship between an illegitimate son and his two world-famous, unmarried parents, and for portraying the mother in unflattering terms. Essentially, she felt, Anthony was airing in public his accusations against her as a bad mother, which stemmed partly from the fact that she had made a fiction of his provenance “Ã¢â‚¬Å“ asking him to call her Auntie, and his father Wellsie, until he was about four or five, and partly from her habit of leaving him in institutions in his early years while she developed her career in the United States. West countered by claiming that she spent as much time with him as any child could reasonably hope to spend with a mother who was a professional. She was exasperated at his focus on her parenting, when he did not accuse his father of abandonment, even though Wells had been even more absent during Anthony’s youth. Anthony, in fact, idolized Wells. The depiction of West’s alter ego in Heritage as a deceitful, unloving actress (West had trained as an actress in her youth) and poor caregiver so wounded West that she broke off relations with her son and threatened to sue any publisher who would bring out Heritage in England. She successfully suppressed an English edition of the novel, which was only published there after her death, in 1984. Although there were temporary rapprochements between her and Anthony, a state of alienation persisted between them, causing West grief until her dying hour. She fretted about her son’s absence from her deathbed, but when asked whether he should be sent for, answered, “perhaps not, if he hates me so much.”

Death
West suffered from failing eyesight and high blood pressure in the late 1970s, and she became increasingly frail. Her last months were mostly spent in bed, sometimes delirious, sometimes lucid, and she complained that she was dying too slowly. She died on 15 March 1983 and is buried at Brookwood Cemetery, Woking.

On hearing of her death, William Shawn, then editor in chief of The New Yorker, said:

” Rebecca West was one of the giants and will have a lasting place in English literature. No one in this century wrote more dazzling prose, or had more wit, or looked at the intricacies of human character and the ways of the world more intelligently.”http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rebecca_West#Old_age

What defines poetry as confessional is not the subject matter, but how the issue represented is explored. Confessional poetry explores personal details about the author’s life without meekness, modesty, or discretion. Because of this, confessional poetry is a popular form of creative writing that many people enjoy not only to read but to embark upon. Another element that is specific to this poetry is self-revelation achieved through creating the poem. This passes on to the reader, and a connection is made.

Reasons behind writing confessional poetry “Ã¢â‚¬Å“

Poets whose writing is classified as confessional use writing as an outlet for their demons. Writing and then re-reading one’s work changes the cognitive processes with which one’s brain processes this information -“it offers perspective. Anne Sexton famously said, “Poetry led me by the hand out of madness.” But she also argued against this perception in her interviews. In an interview with Patricia Marx, Sexton denies that writing “cured her”:

“I don’t think [that writing cured my mental illness] particularly. It certainly did not create mental health. It isn’t as simple as my poetry makes it, because I simplified everything to make it more dramatic. I have written poems in a mental institution, but only later, not at the beginning.”

Max Beerbohm criticized British writer Arnold Bennett as a social climber who had forgotten his origins. He drew a mature and well fed Bennett expounding, “All [according] to plan, you see!” to a younger tougher version of himself, who replies: “Yes “Ã¢â‚¬Å“ but MY plan.”
The irony is that Bennett was a Realist with unadorned bare descriptions of everyday life. Nonetheless, Bennett wrote prolifically if not artfully to make more money earned per publication. Thence the knock against him by peers.

Amantine Aurore Lucile Dupin (July 1804 “Ã¢â‚¬Å“ 8 June 1876), best known by her pseudonym George Sand, was a French writer. She is considered by some a feminist, though she refused to join this movement. She is regarded as the first French woman writer to gain a major reputation.

Sand authored literary criticism and political texts. She wrote many essays and published works establishing her socialist position. Because of her early life, she sided with the poor and working class. When the 1848 Revolution began, women had no rights and Sand believed these were necessary for progress. Around this time Sand started her own newspaper which was published in a workers’ co-operative. This allowed her to publish more political essays. She wrote “I cannot believe in any republic that starts a revolution by killing its own proletariat.”

She was engaged in an intimate friendship with actress Marie Dorval, which led to widespread but unconfirmed rumors of a lesbian affair. Letters written by Sand to Dorval mentioned things like “wanting you either in your dressing room or in your bed.”

Sand was born in Paris but raised for much of her childhood by her grandmother, Marie Aurore de Saxe, Madame Dupin de Franceuil, at her grandmother’s estate, Nohant, in the French province of Berry (House of George Sand). She later used the setting in many of her novels. It has been said that her upbringing was quite liberal.

Her most widely used quote is “There is only one happiness in life, to love and be loved.”

Sempai with certitude affirms Sand, to love and be
loved, are our deepest heartfelt urges. Because of Sempai’s early life, he sided with the poor and working class. Editor Tiff Camille’s exceptional website here allowed him to publish more political essays. Over the span of half a century and more,
Sempai’s views have crystalized into a George Sand
approach “ “I cannot believe in any republic that starts a revolution by killing its own proletariat.”

Mary Robinson became distinguished for her poetry and was called “the English Sappho.” In addition to poems, she wrote six novels, two plays, a feminist treatise, and an autobiographical manuscript that was incomplete at the time of her death. Like her contemporary Mary Wollstonecraft, she championed the rights of women and was an ardent supporter of the French Revolution. She died in late 1800 in poverty at the age of 42, having survived several years of ill health, and was survived by her daughter, who was also a novelist.

Sappho was a female Ancient Greek poet, born on the island of Lesbos [where the word lesbian comes from]. Later Greeks included her in the list of nine lyric poets. Her birth was sometime between 630 and 612 BC, and it is said that she died around 570 BC, but little is known for certain about her life. The bulk of her poetry, which was well-known and greatly admired throughout antiquity, has been lost, but her immense reputation has endured through surviving fragments.

In 1966, Morita wrote a book called Gakureki MuyÃƒâ€¦ Ron (ÃƒÂ¥­¦ÃƒÂ¦­´ÃƒÂ§Ã¢â‚¬Å¾¡ÃƒÂ§¨ÃƒÂ¨«Ã¢â‚¬â€œ, Never Mind School Records), where he stresses that school records are not important to success or one’s business skills. In 1986, Morita wrote an autobiography titled Made in Japan. He co-authored the 1991 essay The Japan that Can Say No with politician Shintaro Ishihara, where they criticized American business practices and encouraged Japanese to take a more independent role in business and foreign affairs.

Mary Wollstonecraft died at the age of thirty-eight, ten days after giving birth to her second daughter, leaving behind several unfinished manuscripts. Her daughter Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin, later Mary Shelley, would become among history’s greatest writers too like her mother.

Wollstonecraft’s book Vindication of the Rights of Women, published in 1792, was so revolutionary that it shocked many of her contemporaries. In particular, her views on slavery, treatment of the poor and about bad monarchies, were extremely strong.

Antoine Lavoisier also wanted to revolutionize society. He genuinely wanted to improve the poor conditions endured by the peasants. He owned a large farm where he carried out agricultural experiments, trying to improve the quantity and quality of the wheat, milk and meat his farm produced. He tried to persuade the government to change the laws so that ordinary workers would be better off. Paulze Lavoisier shared her husband’s ideas. They searched for ways of making the peasants’ work more profitable.

Caroline was left working in the family kitchen, and when an invitation to join her older brother Wilhelm arrived she moved to join him in 1772.

By this point Wilhelm had established himself as an organist and music teacher at 19 New King Street, Bath, Somerset (now the Herschel Museum of Astronomy). She took several singing lessons a day from Wilhelm, who had become the choirmaster of the Octagon Chapel. Wilhelm was busy with his musical career and became fairly busy organizing public concerts. Caroline was the principal singer at his oratorio concerts, and acquired such a reputation as a vocalist that she was offered an engagement for the Birmingham festival which she declined. But it appears that Caroline did not blend in with the local society and made few friends.

Astronomical work

A telescope that Wilhelm Herschel made for Caroline 1795William’s interest in astronomy started as a hobby to pass time at night. At breakfast the next day he would give an impromptu lecture on what he had learned the night before. Caroline became as interested as Wilhelm, stating that she was “much hindered in my practice by my help being continually wanted in the execution of the various astronomical contrivances.” Wilhelm became known for his work on high performance telescopes, and Caroline found herself supporting his efforts.

In 1782, Wilhelm accepted the office of King’s Astronomer to George III and moved to Datchet and subsequently to Observatory House near Slough (then in Buckinghamshire, now in Berkshire). The new job proved to be a mixed blessing; although it left him with ample free time to continue his astronomical observations, it also meant a reduction in income and being called upon by the king for entertainment at any time. During this time Wilhelm perfected his telescope making, building a series of ever larger devices that ultimately ended with his famous 40-foot (12 m) focal length instrument. Caroline was his constant assistant in his observations, also performing the laborious calculations with which they were connected. During one such observation run on the large telescope in 1783, Caroline became caught on an iron hook and when she was helped off “”¦they could not lift me without leaving nearly 2 ounces [60 g] of my flesh behind.”

In 1788 Wilhelm married a rich widow. Although his new wife made every effort to stay on friendly terms with Caroline it seems her life was considerably upset. Through this period she continued her observations on her own, and made many of her discoveries. She later reconciled with the couple, and took great delight in her new nephew, John Herschel.

During her leisure hours she occupied herself with observing the sky with a 27-inch (690 mm) focal length Newtonian telescope and by this means detected a number of astronomical objects during the years 1783 “Ã¢â‚¬Å“ 87, including most notably an independent discovery of M110 (NGC 205), the second companion of the Andromeda Galaxy. During 1786 “Ã¢â‚¬Å“ 97 she also discovered eight comets, her first comet being discovered on 1 August 1786. She had unquestioned priority on five of the comets and had rediscovered Comet Encke in 1795. In 1787, she was granted an annual salary of Ãƒâ€š£50 by George III for her work as Wilhelm’s assistant.

In 1797 William’s observations had shown that there were a great many discrepancies in the star catalogue published by John Flamsteed, which was difficult to use due to its having been published as two volumes, the catalogue proper and a volume of original observations. William realised that he needed a proper cross-index in order to properly explore these differences but was reluctant to devote time to it at the expense of his more interesting astronomical activities. He therefore recommended to Caroline that she undertake the task. The resulting Catalogue of Stars was published by the Royal Society in 1798 and contained an index of every observation of every star made by Flamsteed, a list of errata, and a list of more than 560 stars that had not been included.

Caroline returned to Hanover in 1822 following her brother’s death, but did not abandon her astronomical studies, continuing to verify and confirm Wilhelm’s findings and producing a catalogue of nebulae to assist her nephew John Herschel in his work. In 1828 the Royal Astronomical Society presented her with their Gold Medal for this work “Ã¢â‚¬Å“ no woman would be awarded it again until Vera Rubin in 1996.

In 1835, along with Mary Somerville, she was elected to honorary membership of the Royal Astronomical Society; they were the first honorary women members. In 1838 she was also elected as a member of the Royal Irish Academy. In 1846 at the age of 96, she was awarded the Gold Medal for Science by the King of Prussia.

Caroline Herschel died at Hanover on 9 January 1848. She is buried at 35 Marienstrasse in Hanover at the cemetery of the Gartengemeinde.

Sempai will die with no fanfare, but Sempai’s
spiritual progeny will be blessed with Sempai’s
long life learnings and wisdom of the ages and
experiences. Ai!! 🙂

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Curtis Narimatsu

Interviewer: Is this why you do not write your books in Creole? According to some intellectuals like Patrick Chamoiseau in Martinique, as Caribbean writers we should write our stories in Creole, the language of the majority of the people in the Caribbean.

My French, my own brand of French. It is not the language you hear in France. It is a combination of the language of a person born in Guadeloupe, who listens to the many different sounds of language, and my own personal language.

Interviewer: So what makes someone an authentic Caribbean writer?

Here, I am, born in Guadeloupe, having lived in Africa and Paris, and now living and working in New York. Here you are, Elizabeth Nunez, born in Trinidad, working and living for most of your life in New York. We are both authentic Caribbean writers. It is a question of a personal choice, how we relate to our mother country in the Caribbean, how we see our place in the world, how we see ourselves and who we are.

Interviewer: Yet I sometimes think that because I live outside of the Caribbean, people there think either I have lost the right to write about the Caribbean or that I have been away too long to be able to write authentically about it. Do you ever experience a similar anxiety?

What does it mean to write authentically about the Caribbean? When you write, you give your version of reality. I am never anxious to justify myself to the public. If they believe that I am not a true Caribbean writer, that’s fair enough, but I do believe that I have all the right to speak about Guadeloupe and that I am a total, genuine Guadeloupean writer.

Interviewer: But do you think there is a distinctive Caribbean literature?

Yes, but it is difficult to define. Edwidge Danticat [a young Haitian author living in New York] is writing an aspect of Caribbean literature. You, Elizabeth, are writing an aspect of Caribbean literature. I am writing an aspect of Caribbean literature and the people who are writing at home, who never leave home”Ã¢â‚¬Å“Patrick Chamoiseau for example”Ã¢â‚¬Å“they are writing an aspect of Caribbean literature. The totality of all these different voices compose a symphony which is Caribbean literature. I am not going to define it because it is too complex, too plural, too changing to have only one narrow definition.

Interviewer: Some people label me a feminist writer because of the strong female characters in my novels. But the truth is that I don’t deliberately try to create strong women. My characters are patterned after the women who have influenced my life: those who refused to see themselves as victims and took charge of their lives. There are also very strong female characters in your novels. Would you say you are a feminist writer?

My answer is similar to yours. I was educated by a strong mother and a strong grandmother. My sisters are strong. All the women I knew in Guadeloupe were strong. They triumphed over the conditions that limited them. My books are a reflection of what I see in life. I don’t think I am a feminist. I write about what I know.

Interviewer: I loved your novel, Windward Heights. It was liberating to see Emily BrontÃƒÆ’«’s classic work through the eyes of a black cast of characters. You effectively dismantled racist theories that would dispute our common humanity. Was this your intention or did you have more personal reasons for writing your novel?

Interviewer: I notice that you begin the book by saying you hope Emily BrontÃƒÆ’« will approve of your interpretation of her masterpiece. Did that wish for her approval limit you in any way?

I must confess that I totally forgot Emily BrontÃƒÆ’«, the author, when I was writing my novel. What I concentrated on was the passion between Cathy and Heathcliff, the excessive love that fused these two characters. But I read BrontÃƒÆ’«’s novel often, and I kept it on my desk open to the page where Cathy says, “I am Heathcliff.” That is a beautiful line. It tells about the intensity of passion possible between two people. When I was finished writing my novel, I wondered what BrontÃƒÆ’« would think of it, but it was not a serious question I asked myself. I never tried to compete with BrontÃƒÆ’«. She posed no problem for me.

Interviewer: Can you talk a little about your work at Columbia University? I know you created the Department of Francophone Studies there. In fact, you are the chairperson.

It’s a departure from my other novels. My daughters have been complaining that all my novels are sad and painful, so I wrote a comical novel, a fantastic novel. It is based on a story I read in a newspaper in Guadeloupe, in 1995, about a baby girl who was found dead, her throat slashed, in a heap of rubbish.

This doesn’t sound like a happy novel, but
listen and tell me what you think. Everyone wanted to know why the baby was killed that way. I mean, a woman who wants to get rid of her baby doesn’t usually slash the baby’s throat. There is a special cruelty and malice in doing such a thing. So people in Guadeloupe began to speculate that the baby was used as a human sacrifice. In my novel, I imagined she was brought back to life by a doctor who repaired her throat. The girl then goes in search of those who murdered her.

Wait. The girl begins to attack everything that we think of as sacred. For example, she goes to Africa at the beginning of colonization. When she sees that colonization is failing because there is no communication between Africans and Europeans, she decides that the way to improve the situation is to have a bordello where African women could make love to white men. Ah, you are laughing.

So, you see, I was not wrong to say the novel is comical. Farcical. Yes, that is the word.

Honestly, I do not have an answer.
I do not make an effort to be one or another. I am everything at the same time.

Sempai Kondo does not have an answer. He does
not make an effort to be one or another. He is
everything at the same time, like the agitation
cycle in a washing machine, like a turbo tsunami
swept up in its fury. The Sound and the Fury?

“Because no battle is ever won he said. They are not even fought. The field only reveals to man his own folly and despair, and victory is an illusion of philosophers and fools.” (2.1) Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury

Alex Akita 1896-1987 was reeked as chorimbo because his immigrant dad of Yamaguchi ken/district in Japan had a piggery along Akaka Falls stream above the Honomu plantation store where the Bufils now live. Yamaguchi ken are Waiakea fishermen & Hiroshima ken natives from Main Island Honshu looked down at low class occupations like piggeries. J_ps are racists/class conscious because of their traditional racial homogeneity & caste stratification. Paradox is that the Akitas overcompensated for their peonage aspersion vs. them by becoming financially successful, even arrogant/monoshiri/ibaru like the status seekers who ridiculed them.

The more cold-blooded your calculations, the further you will go. Strike ruthlessly; you will be feared. Men and women for you must be nothing more than post-horses; take a fresh relay, and leave the last to drop by the roadside; in this way you will reach the goal of your ambition. You will be nothing here, you see, unless a woman interests herself in you; and she must be young and wealthy, and a woman of the world. Yet, if you have a heart, lock it carefully away like a treasure; do not let any one suspect it, or you will be lost; you would cease to be the executioner, you would take the victim’s place. And if ever you should love, never let your secret escape you!

This attitude is further explored by Vautrin, who tells Rastignac: “The secret of a great success for which you are at a loss to account is a crime that has never been discovered, because it was properly executed.” This sentence has been frequently “Ã¢â‚¬Å“ and somewhat inaccurately “Ã¢â‚¬Å“ paraphrased as: “Behind every great fortune is a great crime.”

One line, when Vautrin tells GÃƒÆ’¨ne that he is “making him an offer that he cannot refuse,” was used by Mario Puzo in The Godfather. In the film adaptation of that novel, that line, “I’m gonna make him an offer he can’t refuse” was voted as the second most memorable line in cinema history in AFI’s 100 Years”¦ 100 Movie Quotes by the American Film Institute.

Marxist Friedrich Engels wrote: “I have learned more [from Balzac] than from all the professional historians, economists and statisticians put together.”

Balzac had a significant influence on the writers of his time and beyond. He has been compared to Charles Dickens and called an influence on him. Critic W. H. Helm calls one “the French Dickens” and the other “the English Balzac.” Another critic, Richard Lehan, says that “Balzac was the bridge between the comic realism of Dickens and the naturalism of Zola.”

French author Gustave Flaubert was also substantially influenced by Balzac. Flaubert clearly took heed of Balzac’s close attention to detail and unvarnished depictions of bourgeois life.

At the same time, the characters represent a particular range of social types: the noble soldier, the scoundrel, the proud workman, the fearless spy, and the alluring mistress, among others. That Balzac was able to balance the strength of the individual against the representation of the type is evidence of the author’s skill. One critic explained that “there is a center and a circumference to Balzac’s world.”

A nearly infinite reserve of energy propels the characters in Balzac’s novels. Struggling against the currents of human nature and society, they may lose more often than they win “Ã¢â‚¬Å“ but only rarely do they give up. This universal trait is a reflection of Balzac’s own social wrangling, that of his family, and an interest in the Austrian mystic and physician Franz Mesmer, who pioneered the study of animal magnetism. Balzac spoke often of a “nervous and fluid force” between individuals, and RaphaÃƒÆ’«l Valentin’s decline in La Peau de Chagrin exemplifies the danger of withdrawing from the company of other people.

Just the same, Sempai Kondo’s stories of the common lot such as in Braddah, you gotta’ leave! and in
EVERYDAY IS VETERAN’S DAY, are powerful for their simplicity and realism.

Hawai’i County Democratic Party head Steve Pavao
is a straightback but not far removed from the
chicanery of his fellow Luso/Portuguese stealth man Gerald De Mello born 1943, some 13 yrs. Steve’s senior. Steve has the oratorical persuasion of charismatic Elmer Cravalho born 1926, and Steve dived into politics out of Steve’s native Kaiwiki when Steve
barely was old enough to walk. Steve is a polished, composed and experienced leader, but not far removed from the out of control egomania of a fellow Luso destroyer of the Democratic Party in the late Butch Castro.

One of Queneau’s most influential works is Exercises in Style, which tells the simple story of a man seeing the same stranger twice in one day. It tells that very short story in 99 different ways, demonstrating the tremendous variety of styles in which storytelling can take place.

Sempai Kondo’s most influential work is EVERYDAY IS VETERAN’S DAY, which tells the simple story of a man seeing the same war in many ways. It tells that very short story in one singular way, demonstrating the tremendous punctuality of pathos in which storytelling can take place. Sempai is my hero.
Ai. 🙂

Reprise this exceptional passage from
Sempai Kondo “Ã¢â‚¬Å“

Excerpt from novel: Secret Gardens of Puna

The drill sergeant reached for me, paused and smiled knowingly then turned and went to the smaller asian standing near by. He was the only other slant eye in our training company.

He pulled the smaller inductee before the company and and announced, “This is what your enemy looks like!”
The slight Japanese fellow stood still in embarrassment and I realize that he was picked on because he was quite smaller than me.

I was already the company champion in pugil sticks and had gotten into a couple of fights with some whites and won. The drill sergeant knowing this, I assume to this day, did not want to have the other recruits anymore afraid of the yellow race than they would be soon enough in Vietnam.

When we reached the first open area at the end of “Ã‹Å“Sniper Alley’ on the Song Cae Long Canal heading deep into the U Minh Forest, we found a pair of Huey Cobra gunships that had landed. We had watched them wrecking havoc just beyond the line of huts belonging to
Vietnamese that had been relocated from contested areas. When other boats reported sniper fire from beyond the hootches, the Cobras went to work. The volume of fire that they unloaded was indiscriminate and merciless. Maybe two shots, maybe nothing, was answered by a million.

I again felt only sympathy for the asians caught in the murderous barrage of miniguns and rockets. They were forced to live along the canal. Anywhere else beyond 300 meters of the banks was a free fire zone.
To be seen there, meant to be killed. And there too was their rice patties.

The tracers ricocheting skyward where like souls being scattered toward Heaven.

When one of the pilots approached our beached “Ã‹Å“Mike’ boat I was struck by the fact that he looked liked a German pilot from World War 2. He asked for a soda and we obliged. I asked him what was happening out there beyond the hootches where they had been firing.

He said that they had come a bunch of “Ã‹Å“gooks’ crossing a field and when the Cobras came they had not choice but to just lay down in the grass. He said the Cobras just began to crisscross the area with minigun fire and soon, nothing moved.

I asked him if they were Viet Cong or not.

He just said, “Fuck it! They’re just a bunch of fucking gooks anyway!”

I said, I was a gook, remembering even then the nearly sneering face of that drill sergeant.

The blond helicopter pilot told me I wasn’t. He told me I was an American.

I think it was there, at that moment that I began to unravel the body of thought that had me believing “Ã¢â‚¬Å“fooled into thinking such.

It was from that moment on, early in my tour in Vietnam, deep in the jungles of the Mekong Delta that I realized that something I once loved, would be left behind and never come home with me.

I realized too, that all the evil that was Nazi Germany, that I was taught to hate as a child through movies and propaganda, that was part of my reason for enlisting and believing this cause just, was not only in the past and it was not necessarily German.

It was apparent to this young history student, that our”Ã¢â‚¬Å“America’s endeavor in Indochina was the same as Hitler throughout Europe.

Your mind is less trustful when one realizes that the evil he thought he was fighting, was everything that we had become in Vietnam.

Sempai Kondo’s life learning and expressions of
real wisdom truly are beyond compare. He is
our poet & prose literateur a la Robert Hayden.

The Tea Party movement is a United States politically conservative movement that emerged in 2009 through a series of locally and nationally-coordinated protests.

The name “Tea Party” is a reference to the Boston Tea Party of 1773 “-a protest by American colonists against various acts by the British Government which, among other things, attempted to establish a monopoly on the importation of tea into the colonies.

The five Democratic members of Minnesota’s congressional delegation “ Tim Walz, Betty McCollum, Keith Ellison, Collin Peterson and Jim Oberstar “ issued a joint statement in which they called Bachmann’s comments “embarrassing” and questioned her ability to “work in a bipartisan way to put the interests of our country first in this time of crisis.” Former Secretary of State GOP Colin Powell and former Minnesota Governor Republican Arne Carlson said that the comments led to their endorsing Obama for president.

She criticized Barack Obama for his association with Jeremiah Wright and Bill Ayers, saying “usually we associate with people who have similar ideas to us, and it calls into question what Barack Obama’s true beliefs, and values, and thoughts are. I am very concerned that he Barack Obama may have anti-American views.” When asked by Matthews: “How many Congresspeople, members of Congress fit into that Anti-American crowd you describe,” Bachmann stated “You’d have to ask them Chris, I’m focusing on Barack Obama and the people he’s associated with.” Matthews followed up by asking “But he’s a Senator from the State of Illinois, he’s one of the members of Congress you suspect of being anti-American. How many people in the Congress of the United States do you think are anti-American? You’ve already suspected Barack Obama, is he alone or are there others?” Bachmann answered, “What I would say is that the news media should do a penetrating expose and take a look”¦I wish they would”¦I wish the American media would take a great look at the views of the people in Congress and find out are they pro-America, or anti-America? I think people would love to see an expose like that.”

In July 2010, Rep. Michele Bachmann, (R-MN), formed the House congressional Tea Party Caucus. This congressional caucus, which Rep. Bachmann chairs, will be devoted to the Tea Party’s stated principles of “fiscal responsibility, adherence to the Constitution, and limited government.” As of August 2, 2010, the congressional Tea Party Caucus consisted of 49 Republicans currently serving in the House of Representatives, who are accussed of trying to hijack the grass roots Tea Party Movement.

In a New York Times op-ed column, economist Paul Krugman, wrote that “the tea parties don’t represent a spontaneous outpouring of public sentiment. They’re AstroTurf (fake grass roots) events, manufactured by the usual suspects. In particular, a key role is being played by FreedomWorks.”

On tax day April 15, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi stated, “It’s not really a grassroots movement. It’s astroturf by some of the wealthiest people in America to keep the focus on tax cuts for the rich instead of the middle class.”

Tea Party Express leader Mark Williams referred to Allah as a “Monkey God”.

Mark Williams came under further criticism in mid-July when he posted a fictional letter named “Colored People” on his blog. Williams claimed the letter was a “satirical” response to a resolution passed by the NAACP calling on Tea Party leaders to “repudiate the racist element and activities from within the movement.” In response, the Tea Party Federation “demanded that the Tea Party Express “Ã¢â‚¬Å“ a separate group “Ã¢â‚¬Å“ oust Williams from its ranks. When it did not, the Federation expelled both Williams and his conservative outfit.”

Use of term “teabagger”

The term teabagger emerged after protesters displayed placards using the words “tea bagging” as a verb. The label has prompted additional puns by commentators, the protesters themselves, and comedians based on the pre-existing eros cue about the term.

Grecian word “sycophant” sums up Balzac’s French expression “Rastignac,” a social climber willing to use any means to better his situation, a la Bachmann/Mark Williams above.

Bachmann and her husband own a mental health care practice in Stillwater. Bachmann also has an ownership stake in a family farm. Her holdings in the farm are worth up to $250,000, and generated annual income ranging from $2,000 a few years ago to up to $50,000 in 2008. In the period from 1995 through 2006, the Bachmann family farm received $251,973 in federal subsidies, chiefly for dairy and corn price supports. So who’s socialist??

Mark Williams’ first commercial radio job was as a salesman at the now defunct WPEP in Taunton, Massachusetts. From there he advanced to an over night talk show on WSAR (Fall River, Mass.) and then an executive producer position at Boston’s WRKO AM. He arrived in Sacramento (KFBK AM) in 2000 after on-air stints in San Diego (XTRA AM), Tampa (WFLA AM), Dayton, OH (WHIO AM) and the Capital District of New York (WGY). He was also the interim program director and on-air swing host for WWDB FM & WTEL AM in Philadelphia before moving to Sacramento’s KFBK.

Williams appeared on Anderson Cooper’s “360”³ on CNN in September 2009, called President Obama a “Nazi,” and agreed with his own previous characterization on his blog of Barack Obama as “an Indonesian Muslim turned welfare thug and a racist in chief.”

Williams has also emerged as an outspoken opponent of the Cordoba House project to build an Islamic cultural center and mosque two blocks from the World Trade Center site. He has called it a “temple to terrorists” and stirred controversy by adding that the facility would be used for “terrorists to worship their monkey god.” He later issued an apology to Hindus for associating what he considers to be their “good” deity with Islam. Yikes, deeper snafus the more he gossips!!

In June 2010, Williams started a drive to recall the majority of the Sacramento City Council in the wake of their vote to boycott Arizona over that state’s tough stance on immigration law enforcement. Calling the vote “”¦[an] endorsement of and protection for human trafficking”¦” he is also running as a candidate to fill the seat of one of the council members.

On July 13, 2010, the NAACP passed a resolution calling on Tea Party groups to condemn racist elements in their ranks. Williams responded to the resolution in an interview on NPR in which he claimed that “The NAACP makes more money off of race than any slave trader ever.” Later, during a CNN interview with Roland Martin, he remarked that “racists have their own movement. It’s called the NAACP.” The next day, Williams posted on his blog a satirical letter to Abraham Lincoln from the NAACP president. The letter portrayed NAACP’s chief as a supporter of slavery who believed that the National Association of Colored People needed a “massa” [Master} to take care of them. The letter was widely criticized as racist, and as a result David Webb of the National Tea Party Federation on July 18 went on Face the Nation to announce that Williams and the Tea Party Express were expelled from the National Tea Party Federation.

So “socialist” Sempai nestled in the secret
gardens of Puna is dismissed by proper
society pundits as our Mark Williams incarnate.

A tea bag, may I ask? 🙂 Ai!!
Williams

George Yokoyama born 1926 by age seniority is dubbed senior political observer. Georgie boy squawks that Billy Kenoi has no business endorsing a candidate in the primary election [Georgie’s boy Abercrombie’s foe Mufi gets the bane of Georgie]. But our non-discerning public forgets that just 4 yrs. ago Georgie’s peer Dan Inouye born 1924 endorsed Inouye’s underling Akaka born 1924 also over rebel Case. No squawk by Georgie because Georgie’s peer Akaka got the endorsement.

Simply put, it’s no surprise that love thy-selves Yoshito Takamine born 1926/Bobo Lapenia some 16 yrs. Yoshito’s junior “Ã¢â‚¬Å“broke rank w/their ILWU & tossed their chips in for Abercrombie, a cardinal sin when constraint suited these 2 borots back in their days as ILWU honchos. Dem Party oyabun Scrub Tanaka 1915-2006 always tiffed vs. ILWU, because Jack Hall’s genesis was pro-GOP, and Scrub dismissed Yoshito Takamine/Bobo Lapenia as self-serving opportunists.
Scrub couldn’t stand Georgie boy Yokoyama for the same reason, dismissing Georgie as an Akaka opportunist. Scrub was Ed Case’s alter ego “ independent/defiant/for the people, Case born 1952, Scrub old enough to be Case’s ojisan/tutu kane, which Scrub really was in spirit. Scrub wanted Abercrombie on Capitol Hill, not at Beretania St.’s Capitol’s 5th floor. Scrub would back Mufi today not because A-hole Mufi upends the existing status quo, even though Mufi’s gang reeks of retros/greedy money-hungry self-seekers, but because Abercrombie’s gang/genesis are Balzac’s rastignac/sycophants, incl. Dante Carpenter/Dickie Wong/Henry Peters/Cayetano, all of whom dismayed visionary oyabun/godfather Jack Burns 1909-1975. Scrub scoffed at George Ariyoshi as the titular rastignac, Waihe’e as Ariyoshi Jr., Cayetano as Ariyoshi III, & Mazie Hirono as Ariyoshi IV. Scrub scoffed at Lingle, but redeemed her only as the rebel who upended the rastignac Democrat dynasty. Scrub wanted Case to run vs. Lingle in 2006, but supported Case vs. Akaka, in that Dan Inouye is the only U.S.. Senator with 2 votes!!! [Akaka is Inouye’s foil] And that Inouye, whom Scrub derides as tenno heikka, his majesty the emperor
[Inouye is clueless in Nipponese vocabulary, being completely Americanized/A-hole assimilated, born 1924, exemplar of post-1920 born A-hole generation that had blessing of getting high school diploma thanks to DPI chief Oren E. Long 1889-1965], is so self-aggrandized that Inouye violated Jack Burns’ cardinal rule of grooming a successor like Case/Mufi.
Scrub never forgave Inouye for such Nippon master race Inouye DNA megalomania. Come-on, gang, you gonna ask about Hanabusa? Who wants 3 J_ps on Capitol Hill, huh?? The fruit is ripe for pickin’ “ Djou is the unlikeliest [pandering GOP] wood pole w/a future in politics.

Scrub hands-down would’ve supported Obama over Clinton, in that Obama’s semi-blackness is
transformational [racial politics are a
reality], all other things being equal.

Sempai Kondo is 3 yrs. older than me, as
Genro Franklin Odo is 11 yrs. older than
Sempai. I never knew what it’s like to
have grandparents, being that my parents
were old enough to be my grandparents.
So my teacher Alex Akita 1896-1987 was
in my fantasy/imagination like my
surrogate ojisan/tutu kane. A chiseled
man [as in solid rock] even at age
69 as my schoolteacher [Alex loved
teaching, didn’t retire], w/a pole
rod straight back, stately-very
tall 5’5″³ for Alex’ generation as
among the oldest Hawai’i-born [2nd
generation — Nisei] buddaheads,
Alex, though ibaru/conceited-monoshiri,
was a former great athlete in his WWI
days [WWI doughboy].

Sempai Kondo more is a role model for me
than Dan Inouye is, simply because
Sempai has more humility, like my
parents’ pre-1920 born generation
[high school diplomas off-limits to
pre-1920 born plantation kids via
Big 5 repression], which for timeline/
age-reckoning, amounts to being
my grandparents’ generation, though
my actual grandparents were born
1880.

So, is Sempai Kondo repudiatory of
the Old Order just as Scrub was??

To me, Sempai is Scrub incarnate.
It’s as if Scrub never died! 🙂 Ai!

Soyinka’s most disturbing play addresses man’s inhumanity and pervasive sins in structures of power.

“There is a deep lesson for the world in the black races’ capacity to forgive, one which springs from our world view and authentic religions, none of which is ever totally eradicated by the accretions of foreign faiths and their implicit ethnocentrism.”

He has been an implacable, consistent and outspoken critic of many Nigerian military dictators, and of political tyrannies worldwide, including the Mugabe regime in Zimbabwe. A great deal of his writing has been concerned with “the oppressive boot and the irrelevance of the colour of the foot that wears it.” This activism has often exposed him to great personal risk, most notable during the government of General Sani Abacha (1993″Ã¢â‚¬Å“1998), which pronounced a death sentence on him “in absentia.” During Abacha’s regime, Soyinka escaped from Nigeria via the “Nadeco Route” on motorcycle. While abroad, he visited parliaments and conferred with world leaders to impose a regime of sanctions against the brutal Abacha regime. These actions and his setting up of the Radio Kudirat helped immensely in securing Nigeria’s return to civilian democratic governance. Living abroad, mainly in the United States, he was a professor at Emory University in Atlanta. When civilian rule returned in 1999, Soyinka returned to a hero’s welcome back in Lagos, Nigeria. He accepted an Emeritus Professorship at Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) on the condition that the university bar all former military officers from the position of chancellor.

Soyinka was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1986, as one “who in a wide cultural perspective and with poetic overtones fashions the drama of existence,” becoming the first African laureate.

So-called
political pundit Rick Castberg born 1941 1) has
his heart in the court system, not in the run n’
gun hardwood movement of politics, and 2) is Scrub’s
pick as Scrub’s biographer because of Rick’s proper society status/credentials as Ph.D. PoliSci emeritus, but Rick doesn’t live Scrub’s life, and frankly, has no stomach for Scrub’s hardwood obsession with the lust/intoxication of power, though Scrub & his baby brother Mits wielded it wisely/for the public good, unlike Jack Burns’ other boys/’hood. As you know, Jack/Scrub/Mits died w/out opulence/material comforts, the only fellas who never self-gained the moolah/’aina, other than prior pauper & our most popular-ever solon Kanaka Johnny Wilson 1871-1956, our First [Genesis] Democrat. Aloha, Tiff 🙂

The unanimous October, 2008 “ceded lands” decision of the US Supreme Court established that the Admission Act of a State is a law which cannot easily be tinkered with. The 9-0 US Supreme Court majority reversed the unanimous 5-0 Hawaii Supreme Court and demolished the belief that the 1993 Apology Resolution had legal effect on such fundamental issues as the State’s ownership of land. The US Supreme Court cited Idaho v. United States in a key passage from its decision:

“[T]he consequences of admission are instantaneous, and it ignores the uniquely sovereign character of that event”¦to suggest that subsequent events somehow can diminish what has already been bestowed.”

The issue of Kamehameha School admissions could be dealt by many possible “Plan B” scenarios. This writer’s favorite would be creation of a statewide voucher system which would allow Kamehameha a revenue stream which would allow it to admit every native Hawaiian child who wishes to go”Ã¢â‚¬Å“and, having accomplished that goal, then admit non-Hawaiians, thus eliminating the cause for action of the discrimination suits. Vouchers may be a radical solution, but they are less radical than creating an Indian tribe in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

Solutions more attuned to Hawaii’s sad political reality might involve recognition of the fact that Kamehameha is already teaching substantial numbers of non-Hawaiian students through its work with DoE schools along the Waianae coast and elsewhere. Another solution would be to admit a limited number of non-Hawaiians within the existing three-campus framework which would then allow KS to once again begin accepting federal funds and thereby expand its enrollment resulting in a net increase in admission of Hawaiian students. Both of these plans benefit Hawaiian students immensely whereas even the most cursory examination of the facts shows that creation of the Akaka Tribe with its own tribal jurisdiction would guarantee a return to the Broken Trust days.

The State Supreme Court’s conclusion that the 37 “whereas” clauses prefacing the Apology Resolution clearly recognize native Hawaiians’ “unrelinquished” claims over the ceded lands is wrong for at least three reasons. First, such “whereas” clauses cannot bear the weight that the lower court placed on them. See, e.g., District of Co-lumbia v. Heller, 554 U. S. ___, ___, n. 3. Second, even if the clauses had some legal effect, they did not restructure Hawaii’s rights and obligations, as the lower court found. “[R]epeals by implication are not favored and will not be presumed unless the intention of the leg-
Cite as: 556 U. S. ____ (2009) 3
Syllabus
islature to repeal [is] clear and manifest.” National Assn. of Home Builders v. Defenders of Wildlife, 551 U. S. 644, ___. The Apology Resolution reveals no such intention, much less a clear and manifest one. Third, because the resolution would raise grave constitutional concerns if it purported to “cloud” Hawaii’s title to its sovereign lands more than three decades after the State’s admission to the Union, see, e.g., Idaho v. United States, 533 U. S. 262, 280, n. 9, the Court refuses to read the nonsubstantive “whereas” clauses to create such a “cloud” retroactively, see, e.g., Clark v. Martinez, 543 U. S. 371, 381″Ã¢â‚¬Å“
382. Pp. 10″Ã¢â‚¬Å“12. 117 Haw. 174, 177 P. 3d 884, reversed and remanded.
“Ã¢â‚¬Å“the opinion for a unanimous U.S. Supreme Court.

KHON: Tuesday the Hawaii Supreme Court dismissed the claims of the last remaining plaintiff, Jonathan Osorio, in the ceded lands litigation decided earlier this year in the State’s favor by the United State’s Supreme Court”¦.This ruling will shortly result in the final termination by the Hawaii Circuit Court of this 15-year-old case.

The key fact here: In order to expand OHA Trustees’ power over State land use decisions, OHA is working to block something badly needed by Native Hawaiians and everybody else”Ã¢â‚¬Å“affordable housing.

In the U.S. military, fragging refers to the act of attacking a superior officer in one’s chain of command with the intent to kill that officer. The term originated during the Vietnam War and was most commonly used to mean the assassination of an unpopular officer of one’s own fighting unit. Killing was effected by means of a fragmentation grenade, hence the term.

The most common motive for choosing a fragmentation grenade or similar device is a perpetrator’s desire to avoid identification and the associated consequences at either the individual level (e.g., punishment by one’s superiors) or the collective level (e.g., dishonor brought to one’s unit): when a grenade is thrown in the heat of battle, soldiers can claim that the grenade landed too close to the person they “accidentally” killed, that another member of the unit threw the grenade, or even that a member of the other side threw it. Unlike a firearm projectile, an exploded hand grenade cannot be readily traced to anyone, whether by using ballistics forensics or by any other means. The grenade itself is destroyed in the explosion, and the characteristics of the remaining shrapnel are not distinctive enough to permit tracing to a specific grenade or soldier.
Contents

Reasons

Fragging most often involved the murder of a commanding officer (C.O.) or a senior noncommissioned officer perceived as unpopular, harsh, inept or overzealous. As the war became more unpopular, soldiers became less keen to go into harm’s way and preferred leaders with a similar sense of self-preservation. If a C.O. was incompetent, fragging the officer was considered a means to the end of self-preservation for the men serving under him. Fragging might also occur if a commander freely took on dangerous or suicidal missions, especially if he was deemed to be seeking glory for himself. The motive of individual self-preservation was often obstructive to the goals of the overall war effort. Fragging in the military was not a total secret in the lower enlisted-rank soldiers. Sometimes warnings would be given beforehand to the unpopular officer by placing a grenade pin on his bed. Fragging would take place if his actions continued as before.

The very idea of fragging served to warn junior officers to avoid the ire of their enlisted men through recklessness, cowardice or lack of leadership. Junior officers in turn could arrange the murder of senior officers when finding them incompetent or wasting their men’s lives needlessly. Underground GI newspapers sometimes listed bounties offered by units for the fragging of unpopular commanding officers.

Throughout the course of the Vietnam War, fragging was reportedly common. There are documented cases of at least 230 American officers killed by their own troops, and as many as 1,400 other officers’ deaths could not be explained. Between 1970 and 1971 alone, there were 363 cases of “assault with explosive devices” against officers in Vietnam. Incidents of fragging have been recorded as far back as the 18th century Battle of Blenheim.

Notable incidents

* 1704 “ Battle of Blenheim: An unpopular major of the 15th Regiment of Foot was shot in the head by his own men after the battle had been won.
* 1815 “ Battle of Quatre Bras: The commander of the 92nd (Gordon Highlanders) Regiment of Foot, Colonel John Cameron of Fassfern, was shot and killed by a man whom he had recently flogged.
* World War I: An unpopular sergeant was killed when one of his men came up behind him and dropped an unpinned hand grenade down his trousers.
* Vietnam War: Soldiers serving under Lieutenant William L. Calley Jr. secretly considering fragging him after he marched them into danger, resulting in a soldier’s death
* Iraq War: Captain Phillip Esposito and 1st Lieutenant Louis Allen were killed on June 7, 2005, by a Claymore mine placed on Esposito’s office window at Forward Operating Base Danger in Tikrit, Iraq. The unit’s supply sergeant was charged with the murder, but was subsequently acquitted at court martial.

Keoki Kai born 1965 experienced politics from the time he was in diapers. Keoki’s tutu kane George Kai 1913-1988 was our Labor Dept. messiah [for the common lot] who was dearest/bosom buddy w/Gov. Jack Burns’ greatest political confidant Bert Kobayashi 1916-2005, even though Machiavelli emeritus Burns 1909-1975 stole from George’s oldest brother Ernie Kai 1905-1990 the Governorship in 1951 [Burns purloined Ernie’s name as Gov.] & 1962 [Burns threw his immense weight/support behind window dressing Bill Richardson for Lt. Gov., even after promising to Kai of Burns’ neutrality, & still, Richardson slipped by Kai by the skin of Rich’s teeth, thereby averting an almost eventual assured win by Kai over Burns in 1966 — Burns barely got past the primary & general, but for the intensity of Burns’ cadre of voters].
Yes, 1951 and 1962 were history turners hinged on Keoki’s tutu kane’s oldest brah’ Ernie. Of course, Keoki’s tutu kane George, being Hawaiian, also was close w/GOP heavies Joe Farrington/Jimmy Kealoha/Richard Nixon/Ike [George & Nixon were college bosom buddies at Whittier].

Keoki is my alltime political pundit/guru despite Keoki’s young age [compared to an old f_rt like me].
A candidate sometime is way more important/treasured in defeat than victory, as is the case w/the honorable Mr. Weatherford. Messrs. Keoki Kai/Weatherford make a turbo-charged dynamo duo if Mr. Weatherford comprehends 1) Mr. Weatherford should’ve pounded the pavement more to get into the
general election and 2) Mr. Weatherford rely more on street smarts than book smarts in being the quintessential power broker come November. Of course, knowing Keoki’s desire to be private, anyone has to climb mountains to get Keoki’s ear. Caleb, old as Caleb was, was one who got it done [w/spiked sandles]. 🙂 To je/aloha!

Yagong earned the seniority 2008-now. Yagong
not foolish enuff to have an uncontrollable
ego & have hissy-fit tantrums vs. Pilago
on the County Council, which do nothing but
butter up Kenoi’s bread. Pilago’s seat
no way a plus for Kenoi”Ã¢â‚¬Å“ lesser of 2 evils/
choice of evils for Kenoi “ Pilago/Yagong,
toss-up “ a minus either way for Kenoi. Kenoi
not happy w/primary election results. Not happy.
🙁

The middle class is finally on its knees. Jobs are scarce and good jobs even scarcer. Government and corporate policies have been whacking working Americans every which way for the past three or four decades. While globalization and technological wizardry were wreaking employment havoc, the movers and shakers in government and in the board rooms of the great corporations were embracing privatization and deregulation with the fervor of fanatics. The safety net was shredded, unions were brutally attacked and demonized, employment training and jobs programs were eliminated, higher education costs skyrocketed, and the nation’s infrastructure, a key to long-term industrial and economic health, deteriorated.

It’s a wonder matters aren’t worse.

While all this was happening, working people, including those in the vast middle class, coped as best they could. Women went into the paid work force in droves. Many workers increased their hours or took on second and third jobs. Savings were drained and debt of every imaginable kind “ from credit cards to mortgages to student loans “ exploded.

With those coping mechanisms now exhausted, it’s painfully obvious that the economy has failed working Americans.

There was plenty of growth, but the economic benefits went overwhelmingly “ and unfairly “ to those already at the top. Mr. Reich cites the work of analysts who have tracked the increasing share of national income that has gone to the top 1 percent of earners since the 1970s, when their share was 8 percent to 9 percent. In the 1980s, it rose to 10 percent to 14 percent. In the late-’90s, it was 15 percent to 19 percent. In 2005, it passed 21 percent. By 2007, the last year for which complete data are available, the richest 1 percent were taking more than 23 percent of all income.

The richest one-tenth of 1 percent, representing just 13,000 households, took in more than 11 percent of total income in 2007.

That does not leave enough spending power with the rest of the population to sustain a flourishing economy. This is a point emphasized in “Aftershock.” Mr. Reich, a former labor secretary in the Clinton administration, writes: “The wages of the typical American hardly increased in the three decades leading up to the Crash of 2008, considering inflation. In the 2000s, they actually dropped.”

A male worker earning the median wage in 2007 earned less than the median wage, adjusted for inflation, of a male worker 30 years earlier. A typical son, in other words, is earning less than his dad did at the same age.

This is what has happened with ordinary workers as the wealth at the top has soared into the stratosphere.

With so much of the middle class and the rest of working America tapped out, there is not enough consumer demand for the goods and services that the U.S. economy is capable of producing. Without that demand, there are precious few prospects for a robust recovery.

If matters stay the same, with working people perpetually struggling in an environment of ever-increasing economic insecurity and inequality, the very stability of the society will be undermined.

The U.S. economy needs to be rebalanced so that the benefits are shared more widely, more equitably. There are many ways to do this, but what is most important right now is to recognize this central fact, to focus on it and to begin seriously considering the most constructive options.

Two decades have passed since Barton wrote “America’s Smallest School: The Family.” He has estimated that about 90 percent of the difference in schools’ proficiencies can be explained by five factors: the number of days students are absent from school, the number of hours students spend watching television, the number of pages read for homework, the quantity and quality of reading material in the students’ homes “ and, much the most important, the presence of two parents in the home.

Public policies can have little purchase on these five “ and least of all on the fifth.

Theodore Herzl (Hebrew: Ãƒâ€”Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃƒâ€” Ãƒâ€”Ã¢â€žÂ¢Ãƒâ€”Ã…Â¾Ãƒâ€”Ã¢â€žÂ¢Ãƒâ€”Ã…Â¸ Ãƒâ€”Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃƒâ€”Ãƒâ€”Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ Ãƒâ€”Ãƒâ€”¨Ãƒâ€”¦Ãƒâ€”Ã…â€œ, born Binyamin Ze’ev Herzl, also known as Ãƒâ€”Ã¢â‚¬â€Ãƒâ€”¢Ãƒâ€”Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃƒâ€” Ãƒâ€”Ãƒâ€”Ã…Â¾Ãƒâ€”Ã¢â‚¬Å“Ãƒâ€”Ã¢â€žÂ¢Ãƒâ€” Ãƒâ€”, Hozeh HaMedinah, lit. “Visionary of the State”; Hungarian: Herzl Tivadar; Serbian: ÃƒÂ¢ÃƒÂµÃƒÂ¾ÃƒÂ´ÃƒÂ¾Ãƒâ€˜Ã¢â€šÂ¬ ÃƒÂ¥ÃƒÂµÃƒâ€˜Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ãƒâ€˜ ÃƒÂ»; Teodor Hercl) (May 2, 1860 “Ã¢â‚¬Å“”Ã¢â‚¬Å“ July 3, 1904) was an Austro-Hungarian journalist and the father of modern political Zionism and in effect the State of Israel.

Zionism (Hebrew: Ãƒâ€”¦Ãƒâ€”Ã¢â€žÂ¢Ãƒâ€”¢Ãƒâ€” Ãƒâ€”¢Ãƒâ€”ª, Tsiyonut) is a nationalist Jewish political movement that, in its broadest sense, calls for the self-determination of the Jewish people in a sovereign Jewish national homeland. Since the establishment of the State of Israel, the Zionist movement continues primarily to support and advocate on behalf of the Jewish state, and its current existence.

The term “Zionism” itself is derived from the word Zion (Hebrew: Ãƒâ€”¦Ãƒâ€”Ã¢â€žÂ¢Ãƒâ€”¢Ãƒâ€”Ã…Â¸, Tzi-yon), referring to Jerusalem. The first use of the term is attributed to the Austrian Nathan Birnbaum, founder of the first nationalist Jewish students’ movement Kadimah, in his journal Selbstemanzipation (Self Emancipation) in 1890.

Zionism is based on historical ties and religious traditions linking the Jewish people to the Land of Israel. Almost two millennia after the Jewish diaspora, the modern Zionist movement, beginning in the late 19th century, was mainly founded by secular Jews, largely as a response by Ashkenazi Jews to antisemitism and the Anti-Jewish pogroms in the Russian Empire.

With its international support, Zionism is included in diaspora politics as a broader phenomenon of modern nation liberation movements.[6] Although one of several Jewish political movements offering alternative responses to assimilation and antisemitism, Zionism grew rapidly and became the dominant force among Jewish political movements.

The political movement was formally established by the Austro-Hungarian journalist Theodor Herzl in the late 19th century following the publication of his book Der Judenstaat. The movement sought to encourage Jewish migration to the Ottoman Palestine and was eventually successful in establishing Israel on 14 May 1948 (5 Iyyar 5708 in the Hebrew calendar), as the homeland for the Jewish people. Its proponents regard its aim as self-determination for the Jewish people. The proportion of world Jewry living in Israel has steadily grown since the movement came into existence. Today roughly 40% of the world’s Jews live in Israel. Nearly as many live in the United States.

Since the first centuries CE most Jews have lived outside Land of Israel (Eretz Israel, better known as Palestine by non-Jews), although there has been a constant presence of Jews. According to Judaism, Eretz Israel is a land promised to the Jews by God according to the Bible. After the 1st century Great Revolt and the 2nd century Bar Kokhba revolt, the Romans expelled the Jews from Judea, changing the name to Syria Palaestina, and thus forming the Jewish diaspora.

Zion is a hill near Jerusalem (now in the city), widely symbolizing the Land of Israel.

In the 19th century, a current in Judaism supporting a return to Zion grew in popularity, particularly in Europe, where anti-semitism and hostility towards Jews were also growing. Jews began to emigrate to Palestine, pre-Zionist Aliyah, even before 1897, the year considered as the start of practical Zionism.

Jewish immigration to Palestine started in earnest in 1882. Most immigrants came from Russia, escaping the frequent pogroms and state-led persecution. They founded a number of agricultural settlements with financial support from Jewish philanthropists in Western Europe. Further Aliyahs followed the Russian Revolution and Nazi persecution.

In the 1890s, Theodor Herzl infused Zionism with a new ideology and practical urgency, leading to the First Zionist Congress at Basel in 1897, which created the World Zionist Organization (WZO). Herzl’s aim was to initiate necessary preparatory steps for the attainment of a Jewish state. Herzl’s attempts to reach a political agreement with the Ottoman rulers of Palestine were unsuccessful and other governmental support was sought. The WZO supported small-scale settlement in Palestine and focused on strengthening Jewish feeling and consciousness and on building a worldwide federation.

The Russian Empire, with its long record of state organized genocide and ethnic cleansing (“pogroms”) was widely regarded as the historic enemy of the Jewish people. As much of its leadership were German speakers, the Zionist movement’s headquarters were located in Berlin. At the start of World War I, most Jews (and Zionists) supported Germany in its war with Russia.

Lobbying by a Russian Jewish immigrant, Chaim Weizmann and fear that American Jews would encourage the USA to support Germany culminated in the Balfour Declaration of 1917 by the British government (the Zionist congress had decided already by 1903 to decline an offer by the British to establish a homeland in Uganda). This endorsed the creation of a Jewish Homeland in Palestine. In addition, a Zionist military corps led by Jabotinsky were recruited to fight on behalf of Britain in Palestine.

In 1922, the League of Nations adopted the declaration in the Mandate it gave to Britain:

The Mandatory will secure the establishment of the Jewish national home, as laid down in the preamble, and the development of self-governing institutions, and also for safeguarding the civil and religious rights of all the inhabitants of Palestine, irrespective of race and religion.

Weizmann’s role in obtaining the Balfour Declaration led to his election as the movement’s leader. He remained in that role until 1948 and then became the first President of Israel.

Jewish migration to Palestine and widespread Jewish land purchases from feudal landlords led to landlessness and fueled unrest which was often led by the same landlords who sold the land. There were riots in 1920, 1921 and 1929, sometimes accompanied by massacres of Jews The victims were usually from the non-Zionist Haredi Jewish communities in the Four Holy Cities. Britain supported Jewish immigration in principle, but in reaction to Arab violence imposed restrictions on Jewish immigration.

In 1933, Hitler came to power in Germany, and in 1935 the Nuremberg Laws made German Jews (and later Austrian and Czech Jews) stateless refugees. Similar rules were applied by the many Nazi allies in Europe. The subsequent growth in Jewish migration and impact of Nazi propaganda aimed at the Arab world led to the 1936″Ã¢â‚¬Å“1939 Arab revolt in Palestine. Britain established the Peel Commission to investigate the situation. The commission did not consider the situation of Jews in Europe but called for a two-state solution and compulsory transfer of populations. But Britain rejected this solution and instead implemented White Paper of 1939. This planned to end Jewish immigration by 1944 and to allow no more than 75,000 further Jewish migrants. This was disastrous to European Jews already being gravely discriminated against and in need of a place to seek refuge. The British maintained this policy until the end of the Mandate.

Growth of the Jewish community in Palestine and devastation of European Jewish life sidelined the World Zionist Organization. The Jewish Agency for Palestine under the leadership of David Ben-Gurion increasingly dictated policy with support from American Zionists who provided funding and influence in Washington, D.C. including via the highly effective American Palestine Committee.

After World War II and the Holocaust, a massive wave of stateless Jews, mainly Holocaust survivors, began migrating to Palestine in small boats in defiance of British rules. The British either imprisoned these Jews in Cyprus (including many orphaned children) or sent them to the British-controlled Allied Occupation Zones in Germany. This resulted in universal Jewish support for Zionism and the refusal of the U.S. Congress to grant economic aid to Britain. In addition, Zionist groups attacked the British in Palestine and, with its empire facing bankruptcy, Britain was forced to refer the issue to the newly created United Nations.

In 1947, the United Nations Special Committee on Palestine (UNSCOP) recommended that western Palestine should be partitioned into a Jewish state, an Arab state and a UN-controlled territory (Corpus separatum) around Jerusalem. This partition plan was adopted on November 29, 1947 with UN GA Resolution 181, 33 votes in favor, 13 against, and 10 abstentions. The vote led to celebrations in the streets of Jewish cities. However, the Palestinian Arabs and the Arab states rejected the UN decision, demanding a single state and removal of Jewish migrants, leading to the 1948 Arab”Ã¢â‚¬Å“Israeli War.
David Ben-Gurion proclaiming Israel’s independence beneath a large portrait of Theodor Herzl.

On 14 May 1948, at the end of the British mandate, the Jewish Agency, led by David Ben-Gurion, declared the creation of the State of Israel, and the same day the armies of seven Arab countries invaded Israel. The conflict led to an exodus of about 711,000 Arab Palestinians and the exodus of 850,000 Jews from the Arab world, mostly to Israel.

Since the creation of the State of Israel, the World Zionist Organization has functioned mainly as an organization dedicated to assisting and encouraging Jews to migrate to Israel. It has provided political support for Israel in other countries but plays little role in internal Israeli politics. The movement’s major success since 1948 was in providing logistical support for migrating Jews and, most importantly, in assisting Soviet Jews in their struggle with the authorities over the right to leave the USSR and to practice their religion in freedom.

Arguably the most left-wing administration in American history is trying to knead and soften the most right-wing coalition in Israel’s history. The former shows no understanding of the latter, which thinks it understands the former all too well.

A display case in Netanyahu’s office could teach the Obama administration something about this leader. It contains a small signet stone that was part of a ring found near the Western Wall. The ring, about 2,800 years old, was the seal of a Jewish official, whose name is inscribed on it: Netanyahu.

No one is less a transnational progressive, less a post-nationalist, than Netanyahu. He once said to a U.S. diplomat 10 words that should warn U.S. policymakers who hope to make Netanyahu malleable: “You live in Chevy Chase [rich Maryland suburb outside D.C.]. Don’t play with our future.”

JERUSALEM

Two photographs adorn the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. They illuminate a portentous fact: No two leaders of democracies are less alike “ in life experiences, temperaments and political philosophies “ than Netanyahu, the former commando and fierce nationalist, and Barack Obama, the former professor and post-nationalist.

One photograph is of Theodor Herzl, born 150 years ago. Dismayed by the eruption of anti-Semitism in France during the Dreyfus Affair at the end of the 19th century, Herzl became Zionism’s founding father. Long before the Holocaust, he concluded that Jews could find safety only in a national homeland.

The other photograph is of Winston Churchill, who considered himself “one of the authors” of Britain’s embrace of Zionism. The Balfour Declaration of 1917 stated: “His Majesty’s Government view with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people.” Beginning in 1923, Britain would govern Palestine under a League of Nations mandate.

Netanyahu, his focus firmly on Iran, honors Churchill because he did not flinch from facts about gathering storms. Obama returned to the British Embassy in Washington the bust of Churchill that was in the Oval Office when he got there.

Obama’s 2009 speech in Cairo, courting the Arab world, certainly subtracted from his standing in Israel. In it, he acknowledged Israel as, in part, a response to Jewish suffering in the Holocaust. Then, with what many Israelis considered a deeply offensive exercise of moral equivalence, he said: “On the other hand, it is also undeniable that the Palestinian people “ Muslims and Christians “ have suffered in pursuit of a homeland.”

Reprinting of “Catch A Wave””

From Tom Coffman

Aloha e all,

In response to a UH political science course, I revived my book CATCH A WAVE through Amazon. com.

This is the sixth and absolutely last incarnation, now being read as a history piece.

UH Ethnic Studies celebrated its 40th annual
anniversary, its initial head in 1970 being
kotonk/Mainland Japanese American Dennis Ogawa,
who was deemed not radical enough. Dennis
switched to American Studies. Franklin Odo
ran it 8 yrs. later after it got permanent
status. KingLit Ching born 1936 always
regarded Franklin born 1939 as a closet
radical, Franklin being a fan of leftist
Japan expert Chalmers Johnson born 1931
& of our own realistic chronicler Sempai
Kondo.

Edwin O. Reischauer 1910-1990 was born/raised in Japan, & was our U.S. greatest Japan
expert. Reischauer advocated U.S. all-Nisei combat unit in September 1942, on grounds that such patriotic unit would dispel Imperial Japan’s
propaganda that Japan’s war vs. U.S. was a racial war to counter White supremacy. Reischauer went on to become ambassador to Japan under JFK/LBJ. After the fall of the Soviet Union in 1989 [internal economic collapse], current Japan expert Chalmers Johnson
born 1931 was radicalized when U.S. policy was to accelerate U.S. military expansion, an alternative to old U.S. imperialism of establishing more colonies [Naval godfather Al Mahan/expansionist Teddy Roosevelt]. By doing so, Johnson says that we created
a greater crisis in the volatile triangle of China/Japan/Korea, where China always distrusts U.S. motives. Better that we keep Japan unarmed except for self-defense, something that Reischauer deviated from when Reischauer went to work for JFK/LBJ.

Dinesh D’Souza’s theory, which appeared in a Forbes magazine article, was an attempt to understand Obama’s failure to relate to mainstream America. This is not a unique obsession. We all take different routes in trying to solve the riddle of the sphinx. Of course, the operating premise is that Obama doesn’t “get us” only to the extent that his policies are in discord with what we believe he should be doing.

In fact, most Americans view both the president and Congress just this way. A recent Gallup poll found that most Americans disapprove of just about everything Congress has done during the Obama presidency. It is not strange to wonder, how come?

How come Obama and his cronies insist on advancing a set of policies with which a majority of Americans disagree?

Dinesh D’Souza [male born 1961, India ethnic but Catholic via Luso, thence D’Souza name] “ and apparently Gingrich “ sees a genetic disconnect driving the president. Obama, son of a Kenyan intellectual (or goat herder, depending on the narrative du jour), absorbed the anti-colonial imperative. Never mind that his father left him when he was 2 and then saw him only once more when Obama was 10. In this Republican revenge fantasy, the American president is meting out delayed justice to the ignorant offspring of European oppressors.

“Obama believes that the West uses a disproportionate share of the world’s energy resources, so he wants neocolonial America to have less and the former colonized countries to have more,” wrote D’Souza.

Who knows what tricks the summer heat plays on the human mind, but fevered theories have enjoyed a fertile reception this season. I have theories of my own, of course, though none quite so exotic. In rehearsal for our upcoming CNN show, “ParkerSpitzer,” co-anchor Eliot Spitzer and I interviewed two psychiatrists to help explain why Obama can’t seem to connect with the American people.

Their take: He likes relating to people on positives “ hope and change “ but can’t relate to anger. He steers clear of negatives. This probably has far more to do with the adaptations he made as a child navigating a disruptive childhood than with any anti-colonial sentiments he might have absorbed while wondering where his father was.

We may never get to the bottom of Barack Obama, but we are fast getting to the bottom of the barrel in trying to sort things out. The last thing Republicans need as they approach a winning season is to be routing around in the ancient histories of black vs. white on the African continent.

It’s the time to move on, gentlemen. There’s nothing here of any benefit, whatsoever.

I [Dinesh D’Souza] was raised Catholic in Bombay, India. The Portuguese missionaries came to India starting in the 16th century. Somewhere along the line, they seem to have located one of my ancestors and brought him to Christianity, possibly by whopping him over the head. It was the age of the Portuguese Inquisition. Hey, I’m glad it happened, although I’m not sure my hapless ancestor would agree. Even so I sometimes say I was raised with “crayon Christianity.”

In early 2007, D’Souza published The Enemy at Home: The Cultural Left and its Responsibility for 9/11, in which he argues that the American cultural left was in large part responsible for the Muslim anger that led to the September 11 attacks.

The book was criticized in major American newspapers and magazines and called, among other things, “the worst nonfiction book about terrorism published by a major house since 9/11″³ and “a national disgrace.”

D’Souza’s book caused a controversy in the conservative movement, invoking a barrage of attacks back and forth between D’Souza and his conservative critics who widely mocked the thesis of his book, that the cultural left was responsible for 9/11. In response to his critics, he posted a 6,500-word essay on National Review Online,[35] and NRO subsequently published a litany of responses from conservative authors who accused D’Souza of character assassination, elitism and pseudointellectualism.

There’s been a lot of talk about CEO experience in the races for governor, lieutenant governor and mayor, but that’s not what these jobs are really about.

A chief executive in the private sector has one constituency “ stockholders “ and a single overriding objective of profitability.

The CEO can force his or her will on a company, working with a friendly board of directors, labor rules that actually give management the right to manage and freedom to shove aside anybody who doesn’t share the vision.

Let’s be honest, no company near the size of the state or city would hire any of the leading candidates for governor or mayor “ much less lieutenant governor “ as its CEO.

Government leadership takes a different set of skills.

Governors and mayors serve multiple constituencies with conflicting interests and few shared goals. Instead of friendly directors, they must deal with equally powerful legislators and council members with their own constituencies and priorities. The entrenched bureaucracy has all the work rules in its favor and can be difficult, if not impossible, to move.

Gov. Linda Lingle was our only governor with significant executive experience coming in, having served two terms as Maui mayor. Has she been our best governor?

Similarly, Jeremy Harris was the Honolulu mayor with the most relevant executive experience after serving a long stint as city managing director before ascending to the top job. Was he our best mayor?

The historical consensus would be that the late Gov. John A. Burns was Hawaii’s greatest government leader since statehood. He was a former cop and political organizer with no significant executive experience.

He did bring a lot of tangible achievement to the job; he led the 1954 Democratic revolution that fundamentally changed our island society and was credited with winning statehood for Hawaii as a member of Congress.

Burns didn’t lead by managerial wonkery, but by having a crystal-clear vision of what he wanted Hawaii to be that he never lost sight of.

He had a knack for getting others to buy into his vision and he formed the right alliances and put the right people in place to make it happen. He was unquestionably The Man, more because of the respect he had earned for himself and showed others than for the power he wielded.

Burns was special, and others like him don’t come along very often. In our more complex times, today’s leaders don’t get as clean a canvas to paint on as he enjoyed.

But the qualities of vision, consensus building, compassionate strength and respect that made Burns so special are a pretty good way of measuring the current crop we have to choose from.

The term Semite means a member of any of various ancient and modern Semitic-speaking peoples originating in southwestern Asia, including Akkadians, Canaanites, Phoenicians, Hebrews, Arabs, and Ethiopian Semites. It was proposed at first to refer to the languages related to Hebrew by Ludwig SchlÃƒÆ’¶zer, in Eichhorn’s “Repertorium”, vol. VIII (Leipzig, 1781), p. 161. Through Eichhorn the name then came into general usage (cf. his “Einleitung in das Alte Testament” (Leipzig, 1787), I, p. 45). In his “Gesch. der neuen Sprachenkunde”, pt. I (GÃƒÆ’¶ttingen, 1807) it had already become a fixed technical term.

The word “Semitic” is an adjective derived from Shem, one of the three sons of Noah in the Bible (Genesis 5.32, 6.10, 10.21), or more precisely from the Greek derivative of that name, namely ÃƒÅ½£ÃƒÅ½·ÃƒÅ½¼ (SÃƒâ€žÃ¢â‚¬Å“m); the noun form referring to a person is Semite.

The term “anti-Semitic” (or “anti-Semite”) overwhelmingly refers to Jews only. It was coined in 1879 by German journalist Wilhelm Marr in a pamphlet called, “The Victory of Germandom over Jewry”. Using ideas of race and nationalism, Marr argued that Jews had become the first major power in the West. He accused them of being liberals, a people without roots who had Judaized Germans beyond salvation. In 1879 Marr founded the “League for Anti-Semitism.”

The concept of “Semitic” peoples is derived from Biblical accounts of the origins of the cultures known to the ancient Hebrews. Those closest to them in culture and language were generally deemed to be descended from their forefather Shem. Enemies were often said to be descendants of his cursed nephew, Canaan. In Genesis 10:21-31, Shem is described as the father of Aram, Asshur, and Arpachshad: the Biblical ancestors of the Arabs, Aramaeans, Assyrians, Babylonians, Chaldeans, Sabaeans, and Hebrews, etc., all of whose languages are closely related; the language family containing them was therefore named Semitic by linguists. However, the Canaanites and Amorites also spoke a language belonging to this family, and are therefore also termed Semitic in linguistics, despite being described in Genesis as sons of Ham (See Sons of Noah). Shem is also described in Genesis as the father of Elam and Lud, although the Elamites and Lydians usually thought to descend from these spoke languages that were not Semitic.

Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.
John 12:24

Sempai Kondo bathes our soul w/the richness of his
observations.

Do you know that age reckoning has our Vietnam War
40 yrs. ago even longer ago to us today than WWII was to us in 1970? And much longer ago than the WWI doughboy ole’ geezers/American Legion Rip Van Winkles/8th-century Japanese tale of Urashima TarÃƒâ€¦/Rumpelstiltskins of WWI’s 1918 year were to impudent WWII post-1920 born A-hole Isamu Kanekuni’s 442nd genre? East Asian age reckoning imbues wisdom with age. Just the same, over the long stretch of time, Brother Kondo’s wisdom counters Kanekuni’s generational impudence amongst post-1920 born kids. Brother Kondo’s sage verses salve our soul. Amena, baby.

He has an angry wrenlike vigilance,
a greyhound’s gently tautness;
he seems to wince at pleasure,
and suffocate for privacy.
[such is the camouflage
countenance of Sempai Kondo]

He is out of bounds now. He rejoices in
man’s lovely,
peculiar power to choose life and die”Ã¢â‚¬Å“
when he leads his black soldiers to death,
he cannot bend his back.
[Sempai Kondo by actions leads us to
authenticity –authenticity is
not narcissism or self-centeredness.
It is a fluid transparency of self in
all we do and with all whom we love.
Thus the great paradox: When we share
ourselves authentically, those
with whom we share find themselves
confronted with an invitation to be
themselves, too. They find their
authentic story in the sharing of our own.
Thus the gift of self or the gift of presence.http://www.lvrj.com/living/revealing-
self-is-natural-part-of-being-human-93224229.html]

“In Poetry -“which has this superiority over all the other arts, that its medium, language, is the least imitative, and is in the most complex relations with what it expresses.”

That statement was made by the great George Eliot. Yes, the novelist-poet George Eliot [Mary Evans].

The stone statues of the abstract Union Soldier
grow slimmer and younger each year”Ã¢â‚¬Å“
wasp-waisted, they doze over muskets
and muse through their sideburns . . .

Shaw’s father wanted no monument
except the ditch,
where his son’s body was thrown
and lost with his “niggers.”

powerful incredible choice of words “Ã¢â‚¬Å“
counterintuitive, really!! You don’t
choose to die. You choose to live by
your martyrdom to universal truths
of compassion, grace, sympathy, concern,
and consideration for everyone/everything.

The stone statue of the abstract soldier
grows slimmer and younger each year”Ã¢â‚¬Å“
wasp-waisted, Brother Kondo dozes under his
position and muses through sideburns . . .

Sempai Kondo’s
peculiar power to choose life and die”Ã¢â‚¬Å“

powerful incredible choice of words “Ã¢â‚¬Å“
counterintuitive, really!! Sempai
doesn’t choose to die. He chooses to
live by his martyrdom to universal truths
of compassion, grace, sympathy, concern,
and consideration for everyone/everything.

But then again, life is not always what it
seems. We’re all Jekyll/Hyde, just as great
Biblical figures David [murder] & his son
Solomon [greed/depravity/decadence] were.

Ngugi could have concentrated on these acts, vilified their perpetrators and thus created simple bad-boys to serve his plot. But A Grain Of Wheat is much more subtle than that. In many ways, these people are victims as well. Their only advantage is that, for a while, they have power on their side. And it is the struggle of motivated people that must wrest this advantage from them.

A Grain Of Wheat presents characters who suffer for what they do, struggle to achieve what they want to become. They want to remain faithful to their convictions, but in a time of strife motives are often provided by the most pressing influence, and often that does not have right on its side.

Remember, only 6 people showed up at Tom Paine’s
funeral. At the time of his death, most American newspapers reprinted the obituary notice from the New York Citizen, which read in part: “He had lived long, did some good and much harm.” Only six mourners came to his funeral, two of whom were black, most likely freedmen. The writer and orator Robert G. Ingersoll wrote:

Thomas Paine had passed the legendary limit of life. One by one most of his old friends and acquaintances had deserted him. Maligned on every side, execrated, shunned and abhorred “Ã¢â‚¬Å“ his virtues denounced as vices “Ã¢â‚¬Å“ his services forgotten “Ã¢â‚¬Å“ his character blackened, he preserved the poise and balance of his soul. He was a victim of the people, but his convictions remained unshaken. He was still a soldier in the army of freedom, and still tried to enlighten and civilize those who were impatiently waiting for his death. Even those who loved their enemies hated him, their friend “Ã¢â‚¬Å“ the friend of the whole world “Ã¢â‚¬Å“ with all their hearts. On the 8th of June, 1809, death came “Ã¢â‚¬Å“ Death, almost his only friend. At his funeral no pomp, no pageantry, no civic procession, no military display. In a carriage, a woman and her son who had lived on the bounty of the dead “Ã¢â‚¬Å“ on horseback, a Quaker, the humanity of whose heart dominated the creed of his head “Ã¢â‚¬Å“ and, following on foot, two negroes filled with gratitude “Ã¢â‚¬Å“ constituted the funeral cortege of Thomas Paine.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Paine#Death

Tom Paine’s last, great pamphlet, Agrarian Justice, published in winter 1795, further developed the ideas in the Rights of Man, about how land ownership separated the majority of people from their rightful, natural inheritance, and means of independent survival. Contemporarily, Paine’s proposal is deemed a form of basic Income Guarantee [minimum wage]. The U.S. Social Security Administration recognizes Agrarian Justice as the first American proposal for an old-age pension; per Agrarian Justice:

In advocating the case of the persons thus dispossessed, it is a right, and not a charity “¦ [Government must] create a national fund, out of which there shall be paid to every person, when arrived at the age of twenty-one years, the sum of fifteen pounds sterling, as a compensation in part, for the loss of his or her natural inheritance, by the introduction of the system of landed property. And also, the sum of ten pounds per annum, during life, to every person now living, of the age of fifty years, and to all others as they shall arrive at that age.

In Paris, there is a plaque in the street where Paine lived from 1797 to 1802, that says: “Thomas PAINE / 1737″Ã¢â‚¬Å“1809 / Englishman by birth / American by adoption / French by decree”.

In the United Kingdom a statue of Paine, quill pen and inverted copy of Rights of Man in hand, stands in King Street, Thetford, Norfolk, his birth place.

This is an experience group where everyone says: I Know That the Universe Is Made Up of Stories Not Atoms. It features support, personal stories and experiences, advice, chat, talk, forums, videos, pictures and resources from real people.

Sempai Kondo suffuses.

To redux Sempai Kondo’s muse,http://www.experienceproject.com/stories/Know-That-The-Universe-Is-Made-Up-Of-Stories-Not-Atoms/567119
I once heard someone say: We are just a grain of sand in the universe. If this is so, then our stories create the beaches that the waves roll upon, they connect the dots of stars to form constellations, our voices give saturn its ring, our hands weave together the milky way, our laughter gives the Sun its fire. If we are just a grain of sand, then our saddness dented the sky, creating a dark hole with our tears. Our fists that we have used or wanted to use in angry pounded the skin of the ozone layer, our feet walked on Mar’s deserts searching for new life and stories to tell.

How many mourners emerge at Sempai Kondo’s funeral
is no measure to me of the magnanimity of
this man. Remember Voltaire. 🙂 Ai!!

In February 1778, Voltaire returned for the first time in 20 years to Paris, among other reasons to see the opening of his latest tragedy, Irene. He wrote, “I die adoring God, loving my friends, not hating my enemies, and detesting superstition.” He died on 30 May 1778.

I met but in an instant/moment Sempai Kondo some 20 yrs. ago via Malu “Ã‹Å“Aina, and his energy intrigued me, albeit transitory. Just the same, I do not redux now what was my lost would-be treasured moment w/Yugo Okubo, genuine peacemaker [442 RCT/Standard School product] by shunning Sempai Kondo. Yugo was Malu “Ã‹Å“Aina simple farmer, baby brother of incendiary educator & feminist Sets Okubo, bred out of tough Palolo, and Yugo himself was the Tom Paine/Voltaire of his day, though I only caught a glimpse of larger than life Yugo on his steep downward arc as a disheveled white-haired goatee’d old old looking man w/one leg in his coffin, so to speak. I do not redux my lost moment w/wayfinder Yugo by quietude amid this website’s proper society commentators, vs. maligned Sempai Kondo. To me, and to our Vietnam War generation’s genro/old elder Franklin Odo born 1939, Sempai Kondo is a genuine hero for choosing to live by his martyrdom to universal truths of compassion, grace, sympathy, concern, and consideration for everyone/everything. He does life, not books. Fully lived, not imagined. Authentic hero to me
and to Franklin, though we might be the loneliest duo from diaspora in isolated praise of Sempai Kondo. Ai, oyakata Sempai 🙂

#

Tom Paine’s 6th & final member of his funeral mourners/entourage?? His truest friend, mercy
of God/restful death. So I guess Sempai Kondo’s
unheralded entourage makes 3, not 2, w/mercy of
God/restful death as his truest friend.
Ai, oyabun Kondo 🙂
# Curtis Narimatsu Says:
September 16th, 2010 at 10:37 pm

Colonel Shaw
and his bell-cheeked Negro infantry
on St. Gaudens’ Civil War relief.

Two months after marching through Boston,
half the regiment was dead;
at the dedication,
William James could almost hear the bronze Negroes breathe.

One of Lowell’s best-known works, Union Dead is a multi-layered poem set in the heart of Boston. On the surface, it is an elegy to the heroic Civil War Massachusetts 54. The soldiers fought with valor and integrity while trying to preserve the Union and end slavery. Lowell is nostalgic for the Boston of his youth and for a country, real or imagined, whose integrity was intact. Lowell is raising an objection to a country that commodifies the nuclear age, he objects to the new realism; he objects to the triumph of commercialism, he objects to a country that has forsaken spirituality for physicality. The space that Lowell speaks of is just that- Nothingness. Extinction of the human race will be the cost if we cannot move to higher spiritual ground.

Shaw was born in Boston, Massachusetts, to a prominent abolitionist family. His parents (who lived off the inheritance left by Shaw’s merchant grandfather) were Francis George and Sarah Blake Sturgis Shaw, and he had four sisters: Anna, Josephine, Susannah and Ellen.

Shaw was approached by his father in late 1862 to take command of a new All-Black Regiment. At first he declined the offer, but after careful thought accepted the position. Shaw’s letters clearly state that he was dubious about a free black unit succeeding, but the dedication of his men deeply impressed him, and he grew to respect them as fine soldiers. On learning that black soldiers would receive less pay than white ones, he inspired his unit to conduct a boycott until this inequality was rectified. The enlisted men of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry (and the sister 55th) refused pay until Congress granted them full back pay at the white pay rate in August 1864.

The Storming of Fort Wagner

The 54th Regiment was sent to Charleston, South Carolina, to take part in the operations against the Confederates stationed there. On July 18, 1863, along with two brigades of white troops, the 54th assaulted Confederate Battery Wagner. As the unit hesitated in the face of fierce Confederate fire, Shaw led his men into battle by shouting, “Forward, Fifty-Fourth Forward!” He mounted a parapet and urged his men forward, but was shot through the heart and he died almost instantly. According to the color Sgt of the 54th Mass, he was shot and killed trying to lead the unit forward and fell on the outside of the fort.

The victorious Confederates buried him in a mass grave with many of his men, an act they intended as an insult. Following the battle, commanding Confederate General Johnson Hagood returned the bodies of the other Union officers who had died, but left Shaw’s where it was. Hagood informed a captured Union surgeon that “had he been in command of white troops, I should have given him an honorable burial; as it is, I shall bury him in the common trench with the negroes that fell with him.” Although efforts were made to recover Shaw’s body (which had been stripped and robbed prior to burial), Shaw’s father publicly proclaimed that he was proud to know that his son was interred with his troops, befitting his role as a soldier and a crusader for social justice. In a letter to the regimental surgeon, Lincoln Stone, Frank Shaw wrote:

We would not have his body removed from where it lies surrounded by his brave and devoted soldiers”¦.We can imagine no holier place than that in which he lies, among his brave and devoted followers, nor wish for him better company “Ã¢â‚¬Å“ what a body-guard he has!

The 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that saw extensive service in the Union Army during the American Civil War. The regiment was one of the first official black units in the United States during the Civil War. The 1st South Carolina Volunteer Infantry Regiment, recruited from freed slaves, was the first Union Army regiment organized with African American soldiers in the Civil War, though many had already fought in the American Revolution and the War of 1812 on both sides.

Legacy
Memorial to Robert Gould Shaw and the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment by Augustus Saint-Gaudens

The regiment was disbanded after the Civil War, but retains a strong legacy. A monument, constructed 1884″Ã¢â‚¬Å“1898 by Augustus Saint-Gaudens on the Boston Common, is part of the Boston Black Heritage Trail. A famous composition by Charles Ives, “Col. Shaw and his Colored Regiment”, the opening movement of Three Places in New England, is based both on the monument and the regiment.

Colonel Shaw and his men also feature prominently in Robert Lowell’s Civil War Centennial poem “For the Union Dead” (1964); Lowell invokes the realism of the Saint-Gaudens monument in this stanza:

Two months after marching through Boston,
half the regiment was dead;
at the dedication,
William James could almost hear the bronze Negroes breathe.

Detail from Saint-Gauden’s original tinted plaster model

A Union officer had asked the Confederates at Battery Wagner for the return of Shaw’s body but was allegedly informed by the Confederate commander, Brigadier General Johnson Hagood, “We buried him with his niggers.” Shaw’s father wrote in response that he was proud that Robert, a fierce fighter for equality, had been buried in that manner. “We hold that a soldier’s most appropriate burial-place is on the field where he has fallen.” As a recognition and honor, at the end of the Civil War, the 1st South Carolina Volunteers, and the 33rd Colored Regiment were mustered out at the Battery Wagner site of the mass burial of the 54th Massachusetts.

More recently, the story of the unit was depicted in the 1989 Academy Award winning film Glory starring Matthew Broderick as Shaw, Denzel Washington as Private Tripp, Morgan Freeman, Cary Elwes, Jihmi Kennedy and Andre Braugher. The film re-established the now-popular image of the combat role African-Americans played in the Civil War, and the unit, often represented in historical battle reenactments, now has the nickname The Glory Regiment.

Phillis Wheatley (1753 “Ã¢â‚¬Å“ December 5, 1784), enslaved at the tender age of eight, is widely known as the first African-American woman in United States’ history to have her poetry published. Constant themes in Wheatley’s poems are death, religion, and the struggle of blacks in the U.S. Wheatley also composed many poems that are a type of tribute to admirable figures or influential persons in her life. Wheatley traveled to London and back, with flexibility rare to other enslaved persons, and held an audience with the Lord Mayor of London as well as other delegates. Wheatley’s works, at the time, were respected in the realm of literature and impressed all who didn’t believe a young girl could produce such works.

Phillis Wheatley’s first published work was a poem entitled “On Messrs. Hussey and Coffin,” which appeared on December 21, 17673, in a newspaper called the Newport Mercury:

“Did Fear and Danger so perplex your Mind,
As made you fearful of the Whistling Wind?
Was it not Boreas knit his angry Brow
Against you? or did Consideration bow?”

Wheatley, unable to get further volumes of her poetry published, was relegated to becoming a scullery maid at a boarding house. For the first time in her life, at age thirty one, Phillis was reduced to domestic the labor that she had been able to avoid her whole life thanks to her literary prowess. On December 5, 1784, Phillis Wheatley died, alone in Boston.

To this day Wheatley’s talent in composition and expression continue to be marveled, along with her incredible mastery of the English language, which occurred in such a short period of time.

Sempai Kondo’s talent in composition and
expression are a marvel, along with his
incredible mastery of our lingua franca
Pidgin, which occurred in such a short
period of time.

My back is to the wall
And my face is to my foes;
I’ve lived a life of combat,
And borne what no one knows.
But in this mortal struggle
I stand”poor speck of dust,
Defiant”self-reliant,
To die”if die I must.

Oscar James Dunn (1825 “Ã¢â‚¬Å“ 22 November 1871) was one of three African Americans who served as a Republican lieutenant governor of Louisiana during the era of Reconstruction.

In 1868, Dunn became the first elected black lieutenant governor of a U.S. state. He ran on the ticket headed by carpetbagger Henry Clay Warmoth, formerly of Illinois. After Dunn died in office, then-state Senator P. B. S. Pinchback (also a black Republican) became lieutenant governor and thereafter governor for a 34-day interim period.

Poe’s depiction of the African servant Jupiter is often considered stereotypical and racist from a modern perspective. Jupiter is depicted as superstitious and so lacking in intelligence that he cannot tell his left from his right. Poe likely included the character after being inspired by a similar character in Sheppard Lee (1836) by Robert Montgomery Bird, which he had reviewed. Black characters in fiction during this time period were not unusual, but Poe’s choice to give him a speaking role was. Critics and scholars, however, question if Jupiter’s accent was authentic or merely comic relief, suggesting it was not similar to accents used by blacks in Charleston but possibly inspired by the Gullah region.

Sometimes I see in my mind’s eye a four-or five-
year-old boy, coatless and wandering
a windblown and vacant lot or street in Chicago
on the windblown South Side. He disappears
but stays with me, staring and pronouncing
me guilty of an indifference more callous
than neglect, condescension as self-pity.

Then I see him again, at ten or fifteen, on the corner,
say, 47th and Martin Luther King, or in a group
of men surrounding a burning barrel off Lawndale,
everything sourrounding vacant or for sale.
Sometimes I trace him on the train to Joliet
or Menard, such towns quickly becoming native
ground to these boys who seem to be nobody
sons, these boys who are so hard to love, so hard
to see, except as case studies.

Poverty, pain, shame, one and a half million
dreams deemed fit only for the most internal
of exiles. That four-year-old wandering
the wind tunnels of Robert Taylor, of Cabrini
Green, wind chill of an as yet unplumbed degree”
a younger boy she did not have to know to love.

sonnet-ballad by Gwendolyn Brooks

Oh mother, mother, where is happiness?
They took my lover’s tallness off to war.
Left me lamenting. Now I cannot guess
What I can use an empty heart-cup for.
He won’t be coming back here any more.
Some day the war will end, but, oh, I knew
When he went walking grandly out that door
That my sweet love would have to be untrue.
Would have to be untrue. Would have to court
Coquettish death, whose impudent and strange
Possessive arms and beauty (of a sort)
Can make a hard man hesitate “Ã¢â‚¬Å“ and change.
And he will be the one to stammer, “Yes.”
Oh mother, mother, where is happiness?

THE RITES FOR COUSIN VIT by Gwendolyn Brooks

Carried her unprotesting out the door
Kicked back the casket-stand. But it can’t hold her,
That stuff and satin aiming to enfold her,
The lid’s contrition nor the bolts before.
Oh oh. Too much. Too much. Even now, surmise,
She rises in sunshine. There she goes
Back to the bars she knew and the repose
In love-rooms and the things in people’s eyes.
Too vital and too squeaking. Must emerge.
Even now, she does the snake-hips with a hiss,
Slaps the bad wine across her shantung, talks
Of pregnancy, guitars and bridgework, walks
In parks or alleys, comes haply on the verge
Of happiness, haply hysterics. Is.

(from Annie Allen, 1950)

This poem, an Italian sonnet “Ã¢â‚¬Å“ a form in which Brooks is a virtuoso,
which figures largely in her first two books “Ã¢â‚¬Å“ is from part III (“The
Womanhood”) of Annie Allen.

The movement of this last section of Annie Allen is that of the
character, Annie’s moving out of romantic self-absorption, and beginning
to observe her own community “Ã¢â‚¬Å“ which , for her as for Gwendolyn Brooks, is
not limiting, but a source of energy, information, support, and, most of
all, of stories implicit in the quotidian lives of its citizens.

“The Rites for Cousin Vit” is, an elegy as well as a sonnet, but it is
an elegy so overflowing with the life-force of its subject that, with no
overt religious context, it constitutes a denial of death. Still, the verbs
“rises in sunshine” and “ must emerge” metaphorically equate the sensual
and down-to-earth Vit with the risen Christ “Ã¢â‚¬Å“ who

Like or Dislike: 00

Curtis Narimatsu

It helped that Frank Fasi was Honolulu’s longest-serving mayor [not impeded by term limits], to seal Fasi’s legacy as Honolulu’s greatest mayor, albeit its most despotic/tyrannical a la Mufi Hannemann.

In this election we have three candidates with qualifications to be managers: a politician, a prosecutor and an engineer, but I am still waiting to hear a mayor talk to me about why Honolulu is a great city and how they will build on it.

Part of the problem may be that the job of mayor in Honolulu is so slight.

Across the country, the big-city mayors are dealing with the big problems. Chicago now is still in shock with the announcement that Richard Daley, who took office in 1989, will not run again.

Daley runs Chicago, with a hand in the largest public housing department in the nation, the Chicago public schools, a transit system with 1.7 million daily riders, seven city colleges and two airports.

The Illinois Legislature handed responsibility for the Chicago schools to the mayor in 1995.

Great cities have great mayors who run the schools, the ports and the hospitals, plus the stuff on a Honolulu mayor’s job list: roads, police, fire, zoning and civil defense.

In past campaigns, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani promoted himself as “America’s mayor” and, for many, the title stuck.

Here in Honolulu, Fasi was not remembered for making sure the fire trucks were working or that the corporation counsel was turning out timely legal opinions; Fasi was Honolulu’s greatest mayor because he was delivering above and beyond the job, and in doing so he redefined Honolulu.

A good mayor is a micromanager, a detail-demanding fanatic who knows the latest in garbage truck sideloader design, modular municipal swimming pool design and pedestrian parks.

A great mayor believes Honolulu can be the city everybody wants to live in.

A city with undeveloped resources such as Chinatown’s River Street, terminally troubled areas such as the “Pupu” streets of Waipahu, the graceful homes of Nuuanu and the plantation communities of Waialua should all sing to Honolulu’s mayor.

So far our candidates appear to be tone deaf.

Rev. David Belden & wife Sarah Lyman’s son Rufus’ part-Hawaiian progeny from Pa’auhau & Puna are the down-to-earth/folksy Lymans, not the snotty/hi maka maka Hilo Lymans [Rufus’ brother Fred/son Levi/grandson Orlando]. Elitism prevailed in Hilo, not in the countryside. Which is why Lyman Museum is our missionary museum, ergo haole, and only recently has outreached as a multi-ethnic resource tool.

General Dahlquist was despised by our 442 boys,
for putting our boys out to slaughter, especially
after Dahlquist pushed too fast w/Dahlquist’s
Alamo Lost Battalion, among other ignominies of
Dahlquist’s Direct Command. And yet, typical but
counter-intuitive, Dahlquist gets elevated despite
Command Responsibility while the soldier’s General Mark Clark recedes to the background.

It was for his command of the 36th Division that Dahlquist receives his greatest criticism for his over-utilization of the Asian American 442nd Regimental Combat Team. Arguably, his decisions would result in the 442nd becoming the most highly decorated unit in the history of the United States military. However, it is the caucasian officers who led the 442nd that are often quoted in criticism of General Dahlquist.

On 24 October 1944, 1st and 2nd Battalion, 141st Infantry moved to secure the right flank of the 3d Division, near the French town of St. Die. When the German forces counterattacked, 1st Battalion was separated and cutoff. After two days of attempted rescue by 2nd and 3rd Battalion, 141st Infantry, Dahlquist resorted to send in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, which had borne the brunt of the Division’s fighting for the previous eight days. The 442nd would suffer 800 casualties, including 121 dead during the five days it took to rescue 211 men of the 1st Battalion, 141st Infantry.

On November 12, General Dahlquist announced he wanted to review the 442nd, to thank them for what they had done. When the battered unit appeared, Dahlquist grew irritated at their sparse numbers, ignorant at how much they had sacrificed.

On 8 May 1945, Hermann GÃƒÆ’¶ring surrendered to the 36th Infantry assistant division commander after a ceasefire was declared between the German Corps G and the U.S. 7th Army. The assistant division commander, Brigadier General Stack, transported GÃƒÆ’¶ring to the division command post. Because he also spoke German, Dahlquist dismissed his translator, and so it was Dahlquist who became the first person to question GÃƒÆ’¶ring. Press photos of Dahlquist and Stack, in seemingly casual conversation with GÃƒÆ’¶ring, were released for publication back in the United States and resulted in criticism of Dahlquist from the American public.

Against the advice of his senior officers, the Lost Battalion was committed to an engagement by Maj.General John E. Dahlquist. After it was cut off by the Germans, two failed attempts were made to rescue the unit. The third attempt was conducted by the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, a unit composed of mostly Japanese Americans. In five days of battle, from 26 October to 30 October 1944, the 442nd broke through German defenses and rescued about 230 men. The 442nd suffered over 800 casualties. I Company went in with 185 men; eight walked out unhurt. K Company began with 186 men; 17 walked out.

The 442nd is the most decorated unit in U.S. military history for its size and length of service, with its component 100th Infantry Battalion earning the nickname “The Purple Heart Battalion.”

Tin soldier? The best-known tin soldier in literature is the unnamed title character in Hans Christian Andersen’s 1838 fairy tale The Steadfast Tin Soldier. It concerns a tin soldier who had only one leg because “he had been left to the last, and then there was not enough of the melted tin to finish him.” He falls in love with a dancer made of paper and after much adventuring, including being swallowed by a fish, the two are consumed together by fire, leaving nothing but tin melted “in the shape of a little tin heart.”

On the other hand “¦
“One Tin Soldier” tells the story of a hidden treasure and two neighboring peoples, the Mountain People and the Valley People. The Valley People are aware of a treasure on the mountain, buried under a stone; they send a message to the Mountain People demanding it. When told they can share the treasure, the Valley People instead decided to take it all by force. After killing all the Mountain People, the victors move the stone and find only a simple message: “Peace on Earth.”

The lyrics of the chorus mention Biblical concepts such as Heaven, Judgment Day (Last Judgment), and justification, leading many to believe that song had Judaic and Christian origin. Yet, arguably the most popular version of the song was credited to the band Coven, a musical act with a satanic and occult identity. This is because Coven member Jinx Dawson agreed to perform the song for the 1971 film Billy Jack, as she is half Cherokee, and the film highlights discrimination against Native Americans.

“One Tin Soldier” was recorded by Skeeter Davis in 1972, earning her a Grammy nomination for Best Female Country Vocal amd major chart success in Canada. An animated version of the song, sung by singing duo Sonny & Cher, was created by animator John David Wilson for The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour.

Paine was also deeply involved in the early stages of the French Revolution. He wrote the Rights of Man (1791), in part a defense of the French Revolution against its critics, in particular the British statesman Edmund Burke. Despite not speaking French, he was elected to the French National Convention in 1792. The Girondists regarded him as an ally, so, the Montagnards, especially Robespierre, regarded him as an enemy. In December of 1793, he was arrested and imprisoned in Paris, then released in 1794. He became notorious because of The Age of Reason (1793″Ã¢â‚¬Å“94), his book advocating deism, promoting reason and freethinking, and arguing against institutionalized religion and Christian doctrines. He also wrote the pamphlet Agrarian Justice (1795), discussing the origins of property, and introduced the concept of a guaranteed minimum income.

Paine remained in France during the early Napoleonic era, but condemned Napoleon’s dictatorship, calling him “the completest charlatan that ever existed”. In 1802, at President Jefferson’s invitation, he returned to America where he died on June 8, 1809. Only six people attended his funeral as he had been ostracized due to his criticism and ridicule of Christianity.

“These are the times that try men’s souls: The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as freedom should not be highly rated.” Thomas Paine, The Crisis

Having taken work as a clerk after his expulsion by Congress [U.S.], Paine eventually returned to London in 1787. Paine’s later years established him as “a missionary of world revolution.”

Thomas Paine has a claim to the title The Father of the American Revolution because of Common Sense, the pro-independence monograph pamphlet he published, and the pamphlet became an immediate success. It quickly spread among the literate, and, in three months, 100,000 copies sold throughout the American British colonies (with only two million free inhabitants), making it a best-selling work in eighteenth-century America. Paine’s original title for the pamphlet was Plain Truth; Paine’s friend, pro-independence advocate Benjamin Rush, suggested Common Sense instead. It was passed around, and often read aloud in taverns, contributing significantly to spreading the idea of republicanism, bolstering enthusiasm for separation from Britain, and encouraging recruitment for the Continental Army. Paine provided a new and convincing argument for independence by advocating a complete break with history. Common Sense is oriented to the future in a way that compels the reader to make an immediate choice. It offers a solution for Americans disgusted and alarmed at the threat of tyranny.

Paine employed rhetoric as a means to arouse resentment of the Crown. To achieve these ends, he pioneered a style of political writing suited to the democratic society he envisioned, with Common Sense serving as a primary example. Part of Paine’s work was to render complex ideas intelligible to average readers of the day, with clear, concise writing unlike the formal, learned style favored by many of Paine’s contemporaries. Thomas “Tom” Paine (January 29, 1736 “Ã¢â‚¬Å“ June 8, 1809) was an author, pamphleteer, radical, inventor, intellectual, revolutionary, and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. He has been called “a corsetmaker by trade, a journalist by profession, and a propagandist by inclination.”

Thomas Paine never went beyond grammar school,
and was avoided by learned men like our other
Founding Fathers, so that had Paine been from
Japan, he would be chorimbo/low class/peon. All
he said was, “If, to expose the fraud and imposition of monarchy “¦ to promote universal peace, civilization, and commerce, and to break the chains of political superstition, and raise degraded man to his proper rank; if these things be libellous “¦ let the name of libeller be engraved on my tomb.”

Paine was an enthusiastic supporter of the French Revolution, and was granted, along with Alexander Hamilton, George Washington, Benjamin Franklin and others, honorary French citizenship. Despite his inability to speak French, he was elected to the National Convention, representing the district of Pas-de-Calais. He voted for the French Republic; but argued against the execution of Louis XVI, saying that he should instead be exiled to the United States: firstly, because of the way royalist France had come to the aid of the American Revolution; and secondly because of a moral objection to capital punishment in general and to revenge killings in particular. He participated to the Constitution Committee that drafted the Girondin constitutional project.

Regarded as an ally of the Girondins, he was seen with increasing disfavour by the Montagnards who were now in power, and in particular by Robespierre. A decree was passed at the end of 1793 excluding foreigners from their places in the Convention (Anacharsis Cloots was also deprived of his place). Paine was arrested and imprisoned in December 1793.

Being held in France, Paine protested and claimed that he was a citizen of America, which was an ally of Revolutionary France, rather than of Great Britain, which was by that time at war with France. However, Governor Morris, the American ambassador to France, did not press his claim, and Paine later wrote that Morris had connived at his imprisonment. Paine thought that George Washington had abandoned him, and he was to quarrel with Washington for the rest of his life. Years later he wrote a scathing open letter to Washington, accusing him of private betrayal of their friendship and public hypocrisy as general and president, and concluding the letter by saying “the world will be puzzled to decide whether you are an apostate or an impostor; whether you have abandoned good principles or whether you ever had any.”

While in prison, Paine narrowly escaped execution. A guard walked through the prison placing a chalk mark on the doors of the prisoners who were due to be sent to the guillotine on the morrow. He placed a 4 on the door of Paine’s cell, but Paine’s door had been left open to let a breeze in, because Paine was seriously ill at the time. That night, his other three cell mates closed the door, thus hiding the mark inside the cell. The next day their cell was overlooked. “The Angel of Death” had passed over Paine. He kept his head and survived the few vital days needed to be spared by the fall of Robespierre on 9 Thermidor (July 27, 1794).

“All national institutions of churches, whether Jewish, Christian or Turkish, appear to me no other than human inventions, set up to terrify and enslave mankind, and monopolize power and profit.”
Paine, The Age of Reason

Thomas Edison said:

I have always regarded Paine as one of the greatest of all Americans. Never have we had a sounder intelligence in this republic “¦ It was my good fortune to encounter Thomas Paine’s works in my boyhood “¦ it was, indeed, a revelation to me to read that great thinker’s views on political and theological subjects. Paine educated me, then, about many matters of which I had never before thought. I remember, very vividly, the flash of enlightenment that shone from Paine’s writings, and I recall thinking, at that time, “Ã‹Å“What a pity these works are not today the schoolbooks for all children!’ My interest in Paine was not satisfied by my first reading of his works. I went back to them time and again, just as I have done since my boyhood days.

Under the cloak of hate and darkness that spread over France during the years of Nazi occupation, thousands of lights refused to be extinguished. Named as “Righteous among the Nations” or remaining anonymous, women and men, of all backgrounds and social classes, saved Jews from anti-Semitic persecution and the extermination camps. Braving the risks involved, they incarnated the honour of France, and its values of justice, tolerance and humanity.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panth%C3%A9on,_Paris

FranÃƒÆ’§ois-Marie Arouet (French pronunciation: [fÃƒÅ Ãƒâ€°Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃƒÅ’Ã†â€™swa maÃƒÅ i aÃƒÅ uÃƒâ€¹Ã‹â€ we]; 21 November 1694 “Ã¢â‚¬Å“ 30 May 1778), better known by the pen name Voltaire (pronounced: [volÃƒâ€¹Ã‹â€ tÃƒâ€°ºÃƒÅ ]), was a French Enlightenment writer and philosopher famous for his wit and for his advocacy of civil liberties, including freedom of religion and free trade. Voltaire was a prolific writer and produced works in almost every literary form including plays, poetry, novels, essays, historical and scientific works, more than 20,000 letters and more than 2,000 books and pamphlets. He was an outspoken supporter of social reform, despite strict censorship laws and harsh penalties for those who broke them. As a satirical polemicist, he frequently made use of his works to criticize intolerance, religious dogma and the established institutions of his day.

Voltaire was one of several Enlightenment figures (along with Montesquieu, John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau) whose works and ideas influenced important thinkers of both the American and French Revolutions.

Candide is a French novella written in 1759 by Voltaire, a philosopher of the Age of Enlightenment. It begins with a young man, Candide, who is living a sheltered life in an Edenic paradise and being indoctrinated with Leibnizian optimism (or simply optimism) by his mentor, Pangloss. The work describes the abrupt cessation of this lifestyle, followed by Candide’s slow, painful disillusionment as he witnesses and experiences great hardships in the world. Voltaire concludes with Candide, if not outright rejecting optimism, advocating an enigmatic precept, “we must cultivate our garden,” in lieu of the Leibnizian mantra of Pangloss, “all is for the best in the best of all possible worlds.”

Zola was brought to trial for criminal libel on 7 February 1898, and was convicted on 23 February, sentenced, and removed from the Legion of Honor. He was allowed to return in time to see the government fall.

The government offered Dreyfus a pardon (rather than exoneration), which he could accept and go free and so effectively admit that he was guilty, or face a re-trial in which he was sure to be convicted again. Although he was clearly not guilty, he chose to accept the pardon. Emile Zola said, “The truth is on the march, and nothing shall stop it.” In 1906, Dreyfus was completely exonerated by the Supreme Court.

Antisemitism (also spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism) is prejudice against or hostility towards Jews, often rooted in hatred of their ethnic background, culture, and/or religion. In its extreme form, it attributes to the Jews an extraordinary position among all other civilizations, defames them as an inferior group and denies their being part of the nations in which they reside. A person who practices antisemitism is called an “antisemite.”

Antisemitism may be manifested in many ways, ranging from individual expressions of hatred and discrimination against individual Jews to organized violent attacks by mobs or even state, police or military attacks on entire Jewish communities. Extreme instances of persecution include the First Crusade of 1096, the expulsion from England in 1290, the Spanish Inquisition, the expulsion from Spain in 1492, the expulsion from Portugal in 1497, various pogroms, the Dreyfus Affair, and perhaps the most infamous, the Holocaust under Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Germany.

While the term’s etymology might suggest that antisemitism is directed against all Semitic peoples, the term was coined in the late 19th century in Germany as a more scientific-sounding term for Judenhass (“Jew-hatred”), and that has been its use since then.

With a new technique based on the male or Y chromosome, biologists have traced the diaspora of Jewish populations from the dispersals that began in 586 B.C. to the modern communities of Europe and the Middle East.

The analysis provides genetic witness that these communities have, to a remarkable extent, retained their biological identity separate from their host populations, evidence of relatively little intermarriage or conversion into Judaism over the centuries.

Jews, Palestinians, and Syrians share a genetic link.

Another finding, paradoxical but unsurprising, is that by the yardstick of the Y chromosome, the world’s Jewish communities closely resemble not only each other but also Palestinians, Syrians and Lebanese, suggesting that all are descended from a common ancestral population that inhabited the Middle East some four thousand years ago.

Dr. Lawrence H. Schiffman, chairman of the department of Hebrew and Judaic Studies at New York University, said the study fit with historical evidence that Jews originated in the Near East and with biblical evidence suggesting that there were a variety of families and types in the original population. He said the finding would cause “a lot of discussion of the relationship of scientific evidence to the manner in which we evaluate long-held academic and personal religious positions,” like the question of who is a Jew.

The study, reported in today’s Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, was conducted by Dr. Michael F. Hammer of the University of Arizona with colleagues in the United States, Italy, Israel, England and South Africa. The results accord with Jewish history and tradition and refute theories like those holding that Jewish communities consist mostly of converts from other faiths, or that they are descended from the Khazars, a medieval Turkish tribe that adopted Judaism.

The analysis by Dr. Hammer and colleagues is based on the Y chromosome, which is passed unchanged from father to son. Early in human evolution, all but one of the Y chromosomes were lost as their owners had no children or only daughters, so that all Y chromosomes today are descended from that of a single genetic Adam who is estimated to have lived about 140,000 years ago.

In principle, all men should therefore carry the identical sequence of DNA letters on their Y chromosomes, but in fact occasional misspellings have occurred, and because each misspelling is then repeated in subsequent generations, the branching lineages of errors form a family tree rooted in the original Adam.

These variant spellings are in DNA that is not involved in the genes and therefore has no effect on the body. But the type and abundance of the lineages in each population serve as genetic signature by which to compare different populations.

Based on these variations, Dr. Hammer identified 19 variations in the Y chromosome family tree.

The ancestral Middle East population from which both Arabs and Jews are descended was a mixture of men from eight of these lineages.

Among major contributors to the ancestral Arab-Jewish population were men who carried what Dr. Hammer calls the “Med” lineage. This Y chromosome is found all round the Mediterranean and in Europe and may have been spread by the Neolithic inventors of agriculture or perhaps by the voyages of sea-going people like the Phoenicians.

Another lineage common in the ancestral Arab-Jewish gene pool is found among today’s Ethiopians and may have reached the Middle East by men who traveled down the Nile. But present-day Ethiopian Jews lack some of the other lineages found in Jewish communities, and overall are more like non-Jewish Ethiopians than other Jewish populations, at least in terms of their Y chromosome lineage pattern.

The ancestral pattern of lineages is recognizable in today’s Arab and Jewish populations, but is distinct from that of European populations and both groups differ widely from sub-Saharan Africans.

Each Arab and Jewish community has its own flavor of the ancestral pattern, reflecting their different genetic histories. Roman Jews have a pattern quite similar to that of Ashkenazis, the Jewish community of Eastern Europe. Dr. Hammer said the finding accorded with the hypothesis that Roman Jews were the ancestors of the Ashkenazis.

Despite the Ashkenazi Jews’ long residence in Europe, their Y signature has remained distinct from that of non-Jewish Europeans.

On the assumption that there have been 80 generations since the founding of the Ashkenazi population, Dr. Hammer and colleagues calculate that the rate of genetic admixture with Europeans has been less than half a percent per generation.

Jewish law tracing back almost 2,000 years states that Jewish affiliation is determined by maternal ancestry, so the Y chromosome study addresses the question of how much non-Jewish men may have contributed to Jewish genetic diversity.

Dr. Hammer was surprised to find how little that contribution was.

“It could be that wherever Jews were, they were very much isolated,” he said. The close genetic affinity between Jews and Arabs, at least by the Y chromosome yardstick, is reflected in the Genesis account of how Abraham fathered Ishmael by his wife’s maid Hagar and, when Sarah was then able to conceive, Isaac. Although Muslims have a different version of the story, they regard Abraham and Ishmael, or Ismail, as patriarchs just as Jews do Abraham and Isaac.

– Nicholas Wade, New York Times May 2000

Some companies now sell genealogy searches against DNA databases. One that implements this particular test is familytreedna.com
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In Medieval Europe, all Asian peoples were thought of as descendants of Shem. By the nineteenth century, the term Semitic was confined to the ethnic groups who have historically spoken Semitic languages. These peoples were often considered to be a distinct race. However, some anti-Semitic racial theorists of the time argued that the Semitic peoples arose from the blurring of distinctions between previously separate races. This supposed process was referred to as Semiticization by the race-theorist Arthur de Gobineau. The notion that Semitic identity was a product of racial “confusion” was later taken up by the Nazi ideologue Alfred Rosenberg.[citation needed]

In contrast, some recent genetic studies found that analysis of the DNA of Semitic-speaking peoples suggests that they have some common ancestry. Though no significant common mitochondrial results have been yielded, Y-chromosomal links between Semitic-speaking Near-Eastern peoples like Arabs and Hebrews have proved fruitful, despite differences contributed from other groups (see Y-chromosomal Aaron). The studies attribute this correlation to a common Near Eastern origin, since Semitic-speaking Near Easterners from the Fertile Crescent (including Jews) were found to be more closely related to non-Semitic speaking Near Easterners (such as Iranians, Anatolians, and Caucasians) than to other Semitic-speakers (such as Gulf Arabs, Ethiopian Semites, and North African Arabs).[9][10]

Semiticization is a concept found in the writings of some racial theorists in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.[1] The term was first used by Arthur de Gobineau to label the blurring of racial distinctions that, in his view, had occurred in the Middle-East. Gobineau had an essentialist model of race according to which there were three distinct racial groups: “black”, “white” and “yellow” peoples, though he had no clear account of how this division arose. When these races mixed this caused “degeneration”. Since the point at which these three supposed races met was in the middle-east, Gobineau argued that the process of mixing and diluting races occurred there, and that Semitic peoples embodied this “confused” racial identity.

This concept suited the interests of antisemites, since it provided a theoretical model to rationalise racialised antisemitism. Variations of the theory are to be found in the writings of many antisemites in the late nineteenth century. The Nazi ideologue Alfred Rosenberg developed a variant of the theory in his writings, arguing that Jewish people were not a “real” race. According to Rosenberg, their evolution came about from the mixing of pre-existing races rather than from natural selection. The theory of Semiticization was typically associated with other longstanding racist fears about the dilution of racial difference, manifested in negative images of mulattos and other mixed groups.

There are examples of Greek rulers desecrating the Temple and banning Jewish religious practices, such as circumcision, Shabbat observance, study of Jewish religious books, etc. Examples may also be found in anti-Jewish riots in Alexandria in the 3rd century BCE. Philo of Alexandria described an attack on Jews in Alexandria in 38 CE in which thousands of Jews died. Statements exhibiting prejudice towards Jews and their religion can be found in the works of a few pagan Greek and Roman writers.

The earliest occurrence of antisemitism has been the subject of debate among scholars. Different writers use different definitions of antisemitism. The terms “religious antisemitism” and “anti-Judaism” are sometimes used to refer to animosity towards Judaism as a religion rather than to Jews defined as an ethnic or racial group.

Edward Flannery traced the first clear examples of anti-Jewish sentiment (which he called “antisemitism”) back to Alexandria in the third century BCE. Alexandria was home to the largest Jewish community in the world and the Septuagint, a Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, was produced there. Manetho, an Egyptian priest and historian of that time, wrote that the Jews were expelled as Egyptian lepers who had been taught by Moses “not to adore the gods.” The same themes appeared in the works of Chaeremon, Lysimachus, Poseidonius, Apollonius Molon, and in Apion and Tacitus, according to Flannery. Agatharchides of Cnidus wrote about the “ridiculous practices” of the Jews and of the “absurdity of their Law”, making a mocking reference to how Ptolemy Lagus was able to invade Jerusalem in 320 BCE because its inhabitants were observing the Shabbat. One of the earliest anti-Jewish edicts, promulgated by Antiochus Epiphanes circa 170-167 BCE, sparked the revolt of the Maccabees in Judea.

Peter SchÃƒÆ’¤fer argued that antisemitism was first spread by “the Greek retelling of ancient Egyptian prejudices.” In view of Manetho’s anti-Jewish writings, SchÃƒÆ’¤fer suggests that antisemitism may have emerged in Egypt alone. The hostility commonly faced by Jews in the Diaspora has been extensively described by John M. G. Barclay of the University of Durham. The ancient Jewish philosopher Philo of Alexandria described an attack on Jews in Alexandria in 38 CE in which thousands of Jews died. In the analysis of Pieter Willem van der Horst, the cause of the violence in Alexandria was that Jews had been portrayed as misanthropes. Gideon Bohak has argued that early animosity against Jews was not anti-Judaism unless it arose from attitudes held against Jews alone. Using this stricter definition, Bohak says that many Greeks had animosity toward any group they regarded as barbarians.

Relations between the Jews and the occupying Roman Empire were antagonistic at first and resulted in several rebellions. According to the 18th century historian Edward Gibbon, there was greater tolerance from about 160 CE.

New antisemitism is the name of the concept that a new form of antisemitism has developed in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, emanating simultaneously from the left, the right, and Islam, and tending to manifest itself as opposition to Zionism and the State of Israel.

The concept generally posits that much of what purports to be criticism of Israel by various individuals and world bodies, are, in fact, tantamount to demonization, and that, together with an alleged international resurgence of attacks on Jews and Jewish symbols, and an increased acceptance of antisemitic beliefs in public discourse, such demonization represents an evolution in the appearance of antisemitic beliefs.

Proponents of the concept argue that anti-Zionism, anti-Americanism, anti-globalization, third worldism, and demonization of Israel, or double standards applied to its conduct, may be linked to antisemitism, or constitute disguised antisemitism.

Critics of the concept argue that it conflates anti-Zionism with antisemitism, defines legitimate criticism of Israel too narrowly and demonization too broadly, trivializes the meaning of antisemitism, and exploits antisemitism in order to silence debate.

Sempai Kondo enunciated “Ã¢â‚¬Å“

“Get philosophical!

Just tell yourself you’re “Ã‹Å“paying it forward’ since a few don’t like dealing with the guilt of the past.”

The expression “pay it forward” is used to describe the concept of asking that a good turn be repaid by having it done to others instead. In contract law, typically there are two parties but there is the concept of third party beneficiaries. Pay it forward merely applies this contract law concept so that third party beneficiary be a stranger to the creditor (or obligee). More specifically, the creditor (obligee) offers the debtor (obligor) the option of “paying” the debt forward by lending it to a third person instead of paying it back to the original creditor. Debt and payments can be monetary or by good deeds. In sociology, this concept is called “generalized reciprocity” or “generalized exchange”. A related transaction, which starts with a gift instead of a loan, is alternative giving.

The mathematician Paul ErdÃƒâ€¦Ã¢â‚¬Ëœs, in one of his visits to Harvard University, met a promising math student on the verge of expulsion for inability to pay his tuition. ErdÃƒâ€¦Ã¢â‚¬Ëœs paid the young man’s tuition in full. Years later, the man offered to return the entire amount to ErdÃƒâ€¦Ã¢â‚¬Ëœs, but ErdÃƒâ€¦Ã¢â‚¬Ëœs insisted that the man rather find another student in his situation, and give the tuition to him.

The Pay It Forward Foundation focuses on bringing the idea of paying it forward to school age children, parents, and educators. The simple idea of doing good works for others to repay the good that has happened to you is one that can easily be conveyed to children and encourages them to be socially aware and take a role in making the world a better place.

Jesus: Matthew 10:8 “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy,drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.”

The Golden Rule: Matthew 7:12 “Do to others what you would have them do to you.”

The concept was used as a key plot element in the denouement of a New Comedy play by Menander, Dyskolos (a title which can be translated as “The Grouch”). Dyskolos was a prizewinning play in ancient Athens in 317 BC; as the text of the play then disappeared and was not re-published until 1957, the concept had to be rediscovered.

The concept was rediscovered and described by Benjamin Franklin.

Similarly, liberation theology focuses on
doing good for others even though you also
are in need. Drawing from the biblical motif
on the impoverished, God is revealed as
having a preference for those people who are “insignificant,” “marginalized,” “unimportant,” “needy,” “despised” and “defenseless.” Moreover, terminology of “the poor” in scripture has social and economic connotations that etymologically go back to the Hebrew word, ptochas. Preference implies the universality of God’s love, which excludes no one. It is only within the framework of this universality that we can understand the preference, that is, “what comes first.”

Rev. Hung Wai Ching 1905-2002 is our greatest
positive wayfinder, the genesis of our contempo
liberation theology. Rev. Abraham Akaka
was the Pauoa prodigy. Just the same, Sempai
Kondo practices the Social Gospel in secular
fashion. Sempai Kondo encourages us all that
“get chance to make’um so no scared’um!!”
Assurance/valor/spirit. Our greatest buddahead
chronicler Franklin Odo born 1939 is a huge fan
of our Sempai Kondo. Of course, today’s retrograde tea partiers [original 1773 boys Samuel
Adams/Ben Rush would revulse at today’s bunch]
as negative exemplars inspire others to “pay it forward,” just as Gutteling/Walter Moe’s
Conservative Forum for Hawaii outfit as a negative
exemplar does the same. Today’s GOP is not the
party of Abe Lincoln, but of snotty caste brahmans,
yes, our superiority complex snobs.

Like or Dislike: 00

Curtis Narimatsu

KingLit Ching born 1936 asks about UH-Manoa history prof emeritus Dan Kwok. Dan got KingLit’s dad Rev. Hung Wai Ching 1905-2002 an honorary Ph.D. degree in Humanities, over other leaders like Chinn Ho & Hiram Fong, based on Hung Wai’s incredible sense of idealism [everybody’s equal], anchored by Hung Wai’s Congregational Christian liberation theology that faith can be a means to help people who are in need of help themselves.

Dan Kwok solely looks at Hung Wai’s insatiable idealism [everybody’s equal under God],
anchored by Hung Wai’s Congregational roots. Kwok knows of Chou En Lai as a keen
Nipponphile [Chou lived in Japan] and derivatively by way of modern Japan, Chou was
an Anglophile. Kwok knows that Chou En Lai had a dear friend who lived in Hawai’i.
Of course, such crossover relationships w/the Western Hemisphere became taboo by
the time Mao’s Cultural Revolution dismembered our Chinese cultural body. Kwok is
a China history scholar.

From Al Rosa”Ã¢â‚¬Å“
Reminder, most of us locals sympathize with the plight of the Kotonks in intern camps and their struggle for recognition. I personally feel that their obsession to be remembered overshadows the accomplishments of the 100th/442nd. Case in point, the lack of a meaningful 100th/442nd exhibit at the Japanese American Museum in J. Town. What I resent are some recent depictions that KOTONKS were the heart of the 442nd and the achievements were Kotonk achievements. I have actually seen articles and documentaries to that effect. I also disrespect them for refusing to volunteer for the 442nd at a 10 -1 ratio less than the locals to take their fair share of the responsibility to prove their patriotism in combat. Kotonks had nearly as large
a Mainland population as in Hawai’i.

Also what are well documented are the Kotonk feelings of superiority to the local AJAs which is what caused all of the fights and was the genesis of the term “kotonk.” [hard head like sound of coconut shell hitting the ground] I am amazed that to this day, some, like Mike Masaoka types, still feel they are superior (locals are MORE Japanese than Kotonks, in that Kotonks are haole-fied/fully assimilated as crowning glory Americans). Aiyah!! “Ã¢â‚¬Å“Al
P.S. I am still annoyed about the National Japanese American Memorial in Washington DC focusing PRIMARILY on the intern camps and giving lip service to the bravery of the 100th/442nd. I blame Odo for allowing that to happen!! [Just joking, in that Franklin Odo born 1939 is our greatest chronicler, a man of balance and reason, Franklin a ’57 Kaimuki High grad].

So what about Henry “Moe” Oshiro [former Advertiser editor Sandy’s dad], Uncle Willy Thompson, and all of our courageous riflemen who were Bronze Star recipients amid the hellfire of combat? Are our forebearers’ tremendous acts of valor now reduced to insignificance/irrelevance by post-100th Batt. draftee & 442 wanna-be Terry Shima’s backdoor pile-up of automatic CIB Bronze Star awards? Kudos to Kai for CIB recognition, but you gotta ask what’s the higher truth here? The whole point of CIB is to recognize combat duty, right?! Terry Shima is JAVA boss & rep for Bronze Star applications for combat veterans WWII. I thank Terry/DoD for issuing Wanderers icon John Yuen’s born 1923 Bronze Star, but doesn’t such award moot out original Bronze Star awardees like Uncly Willy Thompson/Uka Camp 6 “ice in his veins” Haru Henry Oshiro [great boxer/Advertiser Sandra’s dad]?? After all, CIB/Distinguished Unit Badge in great fashion/dignity do honor fighting units/those who were exemplary in battle. Why dilute our treasured Bronze Star via such giveaway which JAVA endorses? Boy, Henry Shimabukuro wants to bury his head in the ground after hearing that first cousin Terry Shima[bukuro][Uncle Jesse’s nephew] is on nationwide newspaper releases for WWII combat veterans to apply for a “gimme” Bronze Star. Yikes!!

Yes, the ones you don’t hear about in smalltown Hilo who come from/live here might be more than an attention-grabber like Terry Shima bargains for, such as Terry’s first cousin Henry Shimabukuro born 1931, Henry the littlest man in ego stature in the world. I politely introduce Isamu Kanekuni born 1921 442 RCT to Henry Shimabukuro retired AF Col. SAC as Henry walks by Isamu/me at our local eatery. I tell Isamu that Henry’s a retired officer, AF. Isamu scowls, “I don’t talk to officers!” Yikes!! In turn, I tell a bemused Henry, “Brah, Kanekuni PFC 442 RCT!” Henry instantly drops down on “bended knees” & tells Isamu, “Man, you guys are my heroes!! I worship you!!” Isamu laughs at this almost vaudeville posture. Tells Henry, “Okay, okay, get up, you making me look bad!! We all laughed heartily!! Whoa, then walks by Gen. Lee [Gov. Lingle’s appointee], I intro Isamu to Gen. Lee. Gen. Lee doesn’t drop to one knee, but politely salutes Isamu, who stands a foot shorter than Gen. Lee [tall Chinese McKinley High grad ’66], a salute which could’ve slapped Isamu one deserved across Isamu’s face had Gen. Lee been any closer to us in proximity. Ha! BTW, JAVA [Japanese American Veterans Assn] boss Terry Shima is Jesse’s Laupahoehoe nephew/Henry’s 1st cousin, based in D.C./Virginia. Terry proud, not earthy/grassroot like Henry & Uncle Jesse. Of course, Terry Georgetown U/foreign diplomat creds, 442 replacement.

John Tsukano wrote the greatest book on the 100th/442nd titled “Bridge of Love” which initially left his boys skeptical of his motives, inasmuch John was a former champion swimmer for Maui’s Soichi Sakamoto, & not tabbed as an “intellectual” by his fellow AJAs. Nonetheless, after spending his whole life savings [John a sportsman promoter with Ralph Yempeku/Richard Pablo Chinen–yes, our Pablo for whom Hilo Civic Auditorium is named] on his research for his book, John’s book is the most thorough & complete history of the AJA warriors. See, the sad thing about our 442 boys born after 1920 is that they are status trippers/social climbers because they pride themselves as Horatio Alger types who picked up themselves by the bootstraps [their high school diplomas made them impetuous–diploma equivalent to college degree back then]. The loss w/such self-infatuated notion is that the silent disciples of “everybody’s equal” such as John Tsukano & Earl Finch are displaced by show-offs like John Ushijima, who, as Lincoln Wrecker qtbk. was hit hard by Waiakea-Uka’s Joe Inamine [great boxer Paul Inamine’s baby bruddah’–Paul killed in Pearl Harbor attack] & sent to the hospital for cracked leg, compliments of our Uka Uchinanchu. Twist is that I have lovely photo of Joe Inamine/John Ushijima/my Dad on their guitars/’ukes in the battlefields of Europe as this unlikely trio strums to “Hilo my Hometown.” Fittingly, when John Tsukano’s book was published, his 442 boys were shocked that jock John Tsukano was capable of producing the masterpiece for all eternity!

Exoneration
USS Indianapolis survivors organized, and many spent years attempting to clear their skipper’s name. Many people, from son Charles McVay IV, to author Dan Kurzman, who chronicled the Indianapolis incident in Fatal Voyage, to members of Congress, long believed Capt. McVay was unfairly convicted. Paul Murphy, president of the USS Indianapolis Survivors Organization, said: “Capt. McVay’s court-martial was simply to divert attention from the terrible loss of life caused by procedural mistakes which never alerted anyone that we were missing.”

Over fifty years after the incident, a 12-year-old schoolboy in Pensacola, Florida, Hunter Scott, was instrumental in raising awareness of the miscarriage of justice carried out at the captain’s court-martial. As part of a school history project, the young man interviewed nearly 150 survivors of the Indianapolis sinking and reviewed 800 documents. His testimony before the US Congress brought national attention to the situation.

In October 2000, the United States Congress passed a resolution that Captain McVay’s record should reflect that “he is exonerated for the loss of the USS Indianapolis.” President Clinton also signed the resolution.

“I would not have hesitated to serve under him again. His treatment by the Navy was unforgivable and shameful.”
From statement submitted at September 1999 Senate hearing by Florian Stamm, one of the USS Indianapolis survivors
Despite this congressional resolution, and a later admission by the U.S. Navy that McVay was not responsible for the loss of the ship, the formal conviction still remains on his service record.

The charge against Captain McVay was that he had hazarded his ship by failing to zigzag at the time Hashimoto’s torpedoes struck, and Hashimoto confounded the prosecution by stating that he would have been able to sink the Indianapolis whether it had been zigzagging or not, testimony which appeared to have no impact at all on the court-martial board which found McVay guilty anyway, and Hashimoto was returned to Japan.

On December 7, 1990, with the war’s bitterness faded, survivors of the Indianapolis, including Giles McCoy, met Hashimoto in Pearl Harbor on the 49th anniversary of that attack.

Speaking through a translator, Hashimoto told McCoy, “I came here to pray with you for your shipmates whose deaths I caused,” to which McCoy, apprehensive about encountering the man who had caused him so much pain and sorrow but touched by Hashimoto’s comment, replied, “I forgive you.”

Nine years later Hashimoto responded to this forgiveness by volunteering support to the survivors in their efforts to clear Captain McVay’s name.

In 1999, when a Japanese journalist was interviewing the elderly Shinto priest about his life and about the sinking of the Indianapolis, she informed him that an effort was being made in the United States Congress to exonerate Captain McVay. Hashimoto told her he would like to help, an offer which was relayed by e-mail to young Hunter Scott in Pensacola, Florida, who suggested that Hashimoto write a letter to Senator John Warner, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and passed on Warner’s address.

“I hear that your legislature is considering resolutions which would clear the name of the late Charles Butler McVay III, captain of the USS Indianapolis which was sunk on July 30, 1945, by torpedoes fired from the submarine which was under my command.

“I do not understand why Captain McVay was court-martialed. I do not understand why he was convicted on the charge of hazarding his ship by failing to zigzag because I would have been able to launch a successful torpedo attack against his ship whether it had been zigzagging or not.

“I have met may of your brave men who survived the sinking of the Indianapolis. I would like to join them in urging that your national legislature clear their captain’s name.

“Our peoples have forgiven each other for that terrible war and its consequences. Perhaps it is time your peoples forgave Captain McVay for the humiliation of his unjust conviction.

Hashimoto’s letter received press attention during the effort to clear Captain McVay’s name, and, as a result, it no doubt helped in getting Congress to exonerate him. For some reason, however, it was not included in the Senate Armed Services Committee report.

Meanwhile, some very interesting comments by Hashimoto were revealed in an English translation of his interview with the same journalist who acted as the go-between in arranging his letter to Senator Warner. Here are some excerpts from that interview in which Hashimoto speaks about his involvement in the court-martial of Captain McVay:

“I understand English a little bit even then, so I could see at the time I testified that the translator did not tell fully what I said. I mean it was not because of the capacity of the translator. I would say the Navy side did not accept some testimony that were inconvenient to them “¦ I was then an officer of the beaten country, you know, and alone, how could I complain strong enough?”

When asked how he would feel to have his views known about the court-martial, here was his response:

“I would feel great. It will be pleasant. No matter what the occasion would be. Because at the time of the court-martial I had a feeling that it was contrived from the beginning” and

“I wonder the outcome of that court-martial was set from the beginning.”

When told of the efforts of young Hunter Scott to clear Captain McVay’s name, Hashimoto replied as follows:

“This is the first time I am informed about Hunter Scott. Well, that’s fine “¦ I hope he will succeed (in his effort) because it’s a good thing to do.”

The little Shinto priest and a former wartime foe had joined the Indianapolis survivors in their quest for justice. I wonder why it took Hashimoto so long to vindicate Kimo’s dad.

Hunter Alan Scott (born June 9, 1985) is best known for the research he did regarding the USS Indianapolis. He studied economics and physics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill on a Naval ROTC scholarship, and graduated in May 2007.

Scott is originally from Pensacola, Florida and is an alumnus of Pensacola High School. When he was age 12, he had to do a National History Day project. He chose the subject of the USS Indianapolis because it came up in the film “Jaws.” Interested in the subject, he went with his father, who was also the assistant principal of his school, to a university library. There was no information on the USS Indianapolis. Scott continued with his research anyway, and finally finished his project. It went up to the state finals but was rejected due to his project containing a spiral bound notebook, including memoirs from the survivors. Despite this rejection, Scott went on to the US Congress with survivors of the USS Indianapolis to argue that Capt. Charles Butler McVay III was innocent.

The efforts of Scott received national media attention. This, combined with the diligence of the Indianapolis Survivors Organization, resulted in passage of a Congressional resolution in October 2000, which was also signed by President Clinton.

In his testimony before Congress, young Scott stated:

This is Captain McVay’s dog tag from when he was a cadet at the Naval Academy. As you can see, it has his thumbprint on the back. I carry this as a reminder of my mission in the memory of a man who ended his own life in 1968. I carry this dog tag to remind me that only in the United States can one person make a difference no matter what the age. I carry this dog tag to remind me of the privilege and responsibility that I have to carry forward the torch of honor passed to me by the men of the USS Indianapolis.

Hunter Scott was subsequently featured in George as “one of the most intriguing political figures” of the year. In 2004, Scott spoke at events surrounding the dedication of the National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C..

is a Navy helicopter pilot in San Diego, C.A.. He graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in May 2007 with a degree in Economics.

Hunter spent nearly seven years researching the sinking of the USS Indianapolis and the subsequent court-martial of Captain Charles B. McVay III. His research, which uncovered an enigmatic US Naval injustice, led to the congressional exoneration of the ship’s captain in 2000. Hunter spent three years as a lobbyist in Washington, D.C., and was subsequently featured as one of George Magazine’s “20 Most Fascinating Men in Politics.”

Hunter is the subject of several books and has been featured on news programs such as ABC’s 20/20 and CBS’s Late Show with David Letterman. Universal Studios is currently making a movie about Hunter Scott and the USS Indianapolis.

Hank Kaplan 1919-2007 [Wikipedia year of birth
for Hank is incorrect] is my boxing mentor. Malie
is my martial art guru, though Malie is much
younger than me. The art of self defense has
nothing to do w/brute force, but w/physics-
geometry. Hank always demonstrated this art
via timing/angles/distance. Malie demonstrates
martial art via intent/focus/energy flow. Malie
was inspired by Mother Teresa of India, whom Malie
knew personally. Malie also was inspired by Dalai Lama in India, whom Malie knew personally. Locally, dearest kindred soul Abbie Kailimai born 1915, who will be a spry 96 yr. old picture of elegance in 4 months, inspires Malie to no end “ last nite at Abbie’s abode tucked in the jungle of verdant Hamakua, Abbie emoted to Malie that when Abbie gets aches/pains in her joints, Abbie tells Abbie’s brain, “OK, brain, now take care of the pain.” And Abbie promptly releases herself from the pain. And when Abbie’s grandkids at Abbie’s Mother Goose Haven seem to get on Abbie’s nerves, Abbie retreats briefly to Abbie’s master bedroom sanctuary & recites Scripture, at which point all conflict disappears. Abbie is one special person, I tell you. An original.

Both the stamp issuance and the centennial celebrations have not been without controversy.

The Madison, Wis., atheist group Freedom from Religion Foundation protested on the grounds that the U.S. Postal Service guidelines suggest not issuing stamps that honor religious groups.

An uproar was created when the owner of the iconic and tallest building in New York City, the Empire State Building, rejected multiple requests to light the upper floors of the building in blue and white, the colors of the saris Mother Teresa’s sisters wear, to honor the centennial of her birth Aug. 26. The private company lights the building’s upper floors to honor major religious holidays throughout the year, but has a policy against honoring individual religious figures.

Taking advantage of the Empire State Building controversy, the USS Intrepid, a massive warship now permanently docked in the Hudson River in midtown New York City and housing a museum, announced it would turn on its lights Aug. 26 to honor the antiwar, pro-life Mother Teresa.

The Catholic bishops of Buffalo, N.Y., and St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada, asked the public authority that operates the Peace Bridge, which spans the Niagara River between Buffalo and Fort Erie, Ontario, to honor Mother Teresa’s birth centennial by lighting up the Peace Bridge. The bridge operator agreed based on Mother Teresa’s humanitarian work.

According to David Failor, executive director of Stamp Services in the U.S. Postal Service, “It would be hard to honor people in society without a religious background.”

Failor, who is a Nebraska native, pointed out that Fr. Edward Flanagan was honored with a stamp not because he was a Catholic priest, but because he was the pioneering founder of Boys Town, a place for homeless youth in Omaha, Neb.

The 12 guidelines known as the “Stamp Subject Selection Criteria” are set by the U.S. Postal Service and the 14 members of the Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee and have “evolved over the years,” Failor said. “Mother Teresa is being honored for her humanitarian work.”

Each year over 50,000 requests are submitted to Stamp Services for the 20 annual new stamp subjects. Failor and his team of some 20 employees in the nation’s capital oversee the work of the advisory committee, whose subject and design committees sift through the ideas.

“The stamp program has room for fun and the pretty subjects that put a smile on people’s faces,” said Failor. “The program also has room for serious subjects that are educational and inspirational.”

After the subject is identified, four contract art directors identify an artist they think will be able to capture the subject. Blackshear, an experienced artist who has already painted 20 stamps, was selected to create the Mother Teresa stamp.

“I got the call in early 2009 to create the Mother Teresa stamp and was thrilled,” said Blackshear. Though not a Catholic, he is no stranger to the church. In 2006, he presented a show at the Vatican that included a painting of Pope John Paul II.

“As I began my work, I couldn’t get Bob Peak’s TIME magazine cover of Mother Teresa out of my mind,” said Blackshear, an apprentice of the legendary illustrator and painter Mark English.

Seeking a clean and clear image, Blackshear presented three images of Mother Teresa to the stamp advisory committee: solemn, holy and smiling. The committee chose the joyful image. Blackshear then produced a color rough of the image. After receiving approval of the color rough, he proceeded with the final artwork.

For most stamps, the actual finished art appears on a 4-by-7-inch or 5-by-8-inch canvas. Blackshear, who wanted to get life and beauty and vibrant colors in the Mother Teresa image, started with watercolors. He submitted his final image as acrylic on an artboard. From start to finish, it took almost two months to complete the project.

Postmaster General John E. Potter approved Mother Teresa as a subject and approved the actual image.

The average print run for commemorative stamps is between 30 million and 100 million. The Mother Teresa stamp print run will be 60 million. The stamp will cost 44 cents.

“Mother deserves this honor,” said Jim Towey, a friend of Mother Teresa who served as her legal counsel in the United States and was also the director of White House Office of Faith-based and Community Initiatives from 2002 to 2006. “For over 30 years, her sisters in the United States have provided wholehearted and free service to the poorest of the poor,” he said.

“Wouldn’t it be nice if the stamps were free, too?” Towey added with humor.

Retired Charlotte, N.C., Bishop William Curlin, a friend and spiritual advisor to Mother Teresa, summed up the Catholic view of Blessed Mother Teresa: “Mother Teresa’s legacy is to help us center our lives in fulfillment of Christ’s command to love God with all our heart and love our neighbor as oneself.”

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/aug/26/mother-teresas-centenary/Mother Teresa’s centenary celebrated
Life, work to be honored around world
By Sujoy Dhar
–
The Washington Times
August 26, 2010
A portrait of Mother Teresa stands in an exhibit about her in a three-car train that will travel India for six months. Indian Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee and Sister Mary Prema attend the opening, celebrating the centenary of the nun’s birth.

CALCUTTA | The site is on a chaotic south Calcutta lane filled with kiosks of cheap merchandise, haggling prostitutes and the Hindu visitors to a famous temple of the demon-slaying goddess Kali.

But devoted volunteers from around the world head for this lane, the home of Nirmal Hriday (Pure Heart), the home for the dying set up 58 years ago by Mother Teresa, the late Nobel Peace Prize-winning nun who was born 100 years ago Thursday.

In this home, the austere sari-clad sisters of the Missionaries of Charity tend to the sick, infirm and abandoned people huddled around beds built in rows, showing what Mother Teresa meant when she said she was helping the poor die with dignity.

The faceless inmates inside the hall have nowhere to go in this unforgiving city of 15 million people, many of whom live and die on the squalid streets. At Nirmal Hriday, the volunteers or the sisters of the order, which Mother Teresa founded in 1950, do not squirm at the inmates’ festering wounds.

Krishna, a 55-year-old man who has been here for more than three decades, is grateful to the sisters.

“I am cared for with same compassion as it was in the time of Mother,” he said.

Mother Teresa is no more, but her spirit of compassion lives on in Calcutta.

The city joined the world Thursday to celebrate the ethnic-Albanian nun, who was born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu on Aug. 26, 1910, in Uskub, Ottoman Empire (now Skopje, Macedonia).

An anniversary Mass to begin the Catholic Church’s Year of Mother Teresa was celebrated Thursday in Calcutta at the Missionaries of Charity headquarters, with more than 1,000 people present and Cardinal Telesphore Placidus Toppo, archbishop of Ranchi, India, presiding.

A message from Pope Benedict XVI, which was read aloud, said the pope was “confident that this year will be, for the church and the world, an occasion of joyful gratitude to God for the inestimable gift that Mother Teresa was in her lifetime and continues to be through the affectionate and tireless work of you, her spiritual children.”

The Dalai Lama has received numerous awards over his spiritual and political career. He was a laureate for community leadership in 1959 Ramon Magsaysay Awards, Asia’s version of Nobel Prize. On 22 June 2006, he became one of only five people ever to be recognised with Honorary Citizenship by the Governor General of Canada. On 28 May 2005, he received the Christmas Humphreys Award from the Buddhist Society in the United Kingdom.

On 10 December 1989 the Dalai Lama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The committee recognized his efforts in “the struggle of the liberation of Tibet and the efforts for a peaceful resolution instead of using violence.” The chairman of the Nobel committee said that the award was “in part a tribute to the memory of Mahatma Gandhi.” In his acceptance speech the Dalai Lama criticised China for using force against student protesters during the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989. He said the victims’ efforts were not in vain. His speech focused on the importance of the continued use of non-violence and his desire to maintain a dialogue with China to try and resolve the situation.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hank_Kaplan
Hank Kaplan was an American boxing historian and writer. Always wearing one of many of his prized boxing baseball caps, and smoking a pipe, he is widely regarded as the nation’s foremost boxing historian, and was known and respected worldwide. Kaplan was known to possess the largest collection of boxing memorabilia, consisting of millions of pieces including newspaper articles, books, and photographs, stemming back from the 1800″²s. His expertise in boxing history helped him earn the nickname “Lord of the Ring.”

Kaplan was born in Brooklyn, New York, to Jewish immigrant parents from Lithuania. He had three siblings. His father died of tuberculosis, when Kaplan was only 9 years of age, leaving his mother to raise four children on her own. His mother struggled to make ends meet as a seamstress, but was forced to place the children in an orphanage at a young age. Hank Kaplan spent much of his early years growing up in the Hebrew Orphan Asylum of New York (HOA), also known as the Academy. He was an active member of HOA and participated in annual events throughout his entire lifetime. Kaplan and his siblings later moved back with their mother during his early teenage years, and she supported the children by working as a seamstress. She owned a business designing and sewing wedding gowns.

Kaplan became interested in boxing beginning from his early years in Brooklyn, after he suffered a bloody nose in his childhood from a fight with another smaller child at Camp Wakitan in upstate New York. He had his first and only professional boxing fight as an adolescent in Bridgeport, Connecticut in the early 1940s, which he won.

Despite his devotion to boxing, Kaplan also served in United States military. He joined the U.S. Coast Guard in his early 20″²s, and served during World War II, as he wanted to follow in the footsteps of his idol at the time, Jack Dempsey. He spent time in the Coast Guard disinfecting ships, after learning skills about chemical warfare and how to prevent the spread of contamination. He was later assigned to work for the U.S. Department of Public Health. He attended the University of Miami at night, while he continued to work during the day, inspecting ships for any signs of infectious contamination. Following this, he worked for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, where he, along with 4 other scientists, went to Indonesia where they spent nine weeks in attempt to battle a severe outbreak of Bubonic Plague. Kaplan worked for the CDC until retirement, at age 55.

He spent many hours at the Fifth Street Gym in Miami Beach, where he first met Cassius Clay (later to be known as Muhammed Ali). Kaplan spent many hours at the Fifth Street Gym, with many of boxing’s greatest legends from the 1950s. Kaplan later became the publicist for the Dundee brothers’ fighters, who included Muhammad Ali.

Kaplan was the founder and editor of Boxing Digest and served as a boxing consultant to various media outlets for many years, including ESPN, HBO and Showtime. He also wrote for The Ring magazine. He received the James J. Walker Award for long and meritorious service to boxing from the Boxing Writers Association of America in 2002. In 2006 he was elected to the International Boxing Hall of Fame. Many professional boxers had wished to nominate Kaplan for the Hall of Fame for years on end, however, since Hank served on the Hall of Fame Nominating Committee, they were unable to nominate him. As was typical, anyone who was worthy of a nomination, would typically voluntarily step down from the Nominating Committee, in order to accept the nomination. Kaplan, however, refused to do so for years, stating he wanted to see others nominated before him. After much pressure, Kaplan agreed and was inducted in 2006 into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

Kaplan’s wife Sylvia was known to invite many boxers into their home, often cooking for them and assisting them with any needs. He never sold any of his pieces of boxing history, despite their monetary value. He was quoted as saying “None of this is for my own glory. I have no dreams of great rewards. My love of boxing comes first.” Upon his death, he donated his entire boxing archives to Brooklyn College in New York.

Kaplan died on the morning of December 14, 2007 at his home in Kendall, Florida, after a brief battle with cancer.

Sebald’s works are largely concerned with the theme of memory, both personal and collective. They are, in particular, attempts to reconcile himself with, and deal in literary terms with, the trauma of the Second World War and its effect on the German people. In On the Natural History of Destruction (1997), he wrote a major essay on the wartime bombing of German cities and the absence in German writing of any real response. His concern with the Holocaust is expressed in several books delicately tracing his own biographical connections with Jews.

Sebald grew up in Wertach, Bavaria, one of four children of Rosa and Georg Sebald. From 1948 to 1963, he lived in Sonthofen. His father joined the Reichswehr in 1929 and remained in the Wehrmacht under the Nazis. His father remained a detached figure, a prisoner of war until 1947; a grandfather was the most important male presence in his early years. Sebald was shown images of the Holocaust while at school in Oberstdorf and recalled that no one knew how to explain what they had just seen. The Holocaust and post-war Germany loom large in his work.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W.G._Sebald

Brother Kondo is my Eastern Sebald, a
writer of the violence from whence
both men [Brother Kondo & Sebald] emerged.

Achebe depicts the Igbo as a people with great social institutions in accordance with their particular society, ie, wrestling, human sacrifice and suicide. Their culture is heavy in traditions and laws that focus on justice and fairness. The people are ruled not by a king or chief but by a kind of democracy, where the males meet and make decisions by consensus and in accordance to an “Oracle” that should be written down. It is the Europeans, who often talk of bringing democratic institutions to the rest of the world, that upset this system. Achebe emphasizes that high rank is attainable for all freeborn Igbo men “Ã¢â‚¬Å“ he attained his through fighting as opposed to reading or ploughing the land and growing herbal remedies, vegetation, rearing cattle, fowl etc.

He also depicts the injustices of Igbo society. No more or less than Victorian England of the same era, the Igbo are a patriarchal society. They also fear twins, who are to be abandoned immediately after birth and left to die of exposure. The novel attempts to repair some of the damage done by earlier European depictions of Africans. But this recuperation must necessarily come in the form of memory; by the time Achebe was born, the coming of the white man had already destroyed many aspects of indigenous culture and destructive belief patterns. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Things_Fall_Apart#Culture

The wagons rumble and roll,
The horses whinny and neigh,
The conscripts each have bows and arrows at their waists.
Their parents, wives and children run to see them off,
So much dust’s stirred up, it hides the Xianyang bridge.
They pull clothes, stamp their feet and, weeping, bar the way,
The weeping voices rise straight up and strike the clouds.
A passer-by at the roadside asks a conscript why,
The conscript answers only that drafting happens often.
“At fifteen, many were sent north to guard the river,
Even at forty, they had to till fields in the west.
When we went away, the elders bound our heads,
Returning with heads white, we’re sent back off to the frontier.
At the border posts, shed blood becomes a sea,
The martial emperor’s dream of expansion has no end.
Have you not seen the two hundred districts east of the mountains,
Where thorns and brambles grow in countless villages and hamlets?
Although there are strong women to grasp the hoe and the plough,
They grow some crops, but there’s no order in the fields.
What’s more, we soldiers of Qin withstand the bitterest fighting,
We’re always driven onwards just like dogs and chickens.
Although an elder can ask me this,
How can a soldier dare to complain?
Even in this winter time,
Soldiers from west of the pass keep moving.
The magistrate is eager for taxes,
But how can we afford to pay?
We know now having boys is bad,
While having girls is for the best;
Our girls can still be married to the neighbours,
Our sons are merely buried amid the grass.
Have you not seen on the border of Qinghai,
The ancient bleached bones no man’s gathered in?
The new ghosts are angered by injustice, the old ghosts weep,
Moistening rain falls from dark heaven on the voices’ screeching.”

One of the earliest surviving works, The Song of the Wagons (from around 750 A.D.), gives voice to the sufferings of a conscript soldier in the imperial army, even before the beginning of the rebellion; this poem brings out the tension between the need of acceptance and fulfillment of one’s duties, and a clear-sighted consciousness of the suffering which this can involve. These themes are continuously articulated in the poems on the lives of both soldiers and civilians which Du Fu produced throughout his life.

Du Fu (Chinese: ÃƒÂ¦Ã…â€œÃƒÂ§«; pinyin: DÃƒÆ’¹ FÃƒâ€¡; Wade”Ã¢â‚¬Å“Giles: Tu Fu, 712″Ã¢â‚¬Å“770) was a prominent Chinese poet of the Tang Dynasty. Along with Li Bai (Li Bo), he is frequently called the greatest of the Chinese poets. His greatest ambition was to serve his country as a successful civil servant, but he proved unable to make the necessary accommodations.

The An Lushan Rebellion began in December 755, and was not completely suppressed for almost eight years. It caused enormous disruption to Chinese society: the census of 754 A.D. recorded 52.9 million people, but ten years later, the census counted just 16.9 million, the remainder having been killed or displaced. During this time, Du Fu led a largely itinerant life unsettled by wars, associated famines, and imperial displeasure. This period of unhappiness was the making of Du Fu as a poet: Eva Shan Chou has written that, “What he saw around him “-the lives of his family, neighbors, and strangers “Ã¢â‚¬Å“- what he heard, and what he hoped for or feared from the progress of various campaigns -“these became the enduring themes of his poetry.” Even when he learned of the death of his youngest child, he turned to the suffering of others in his poetry instead of dwelling upon his own misfortunes. Du Fu wrote:

“Brooding on what I have lived through, if even I know such suffering, the common man must surely be rattled by the winds.”

Brother Kondo bespeaks the lot of the common man
rattled by the ferocity of the winds of our time.

In Silas Marner, George Eliot [Mary Anne Evans’ pen name, since women writers were pegged just for light-hearted romance & not taken seriously by men] combines humour, jealousy and rich symbolism with a historically precise setting to create an extraordinary tale of love and hope. This novel explores the issues of redemptive love, the notion of community, the role of religion, and the status of the gentry and family”¦ On the surface, the book has a strong moral tract; the bad characters like Dunstan Cass get their just desserts, while the good, pitiable characters like Silas Marner are richly rewarded. Although it seems like a simple moral story with a happy ending, George Eliot’s text includes several pointed criticisms of organized religion, the role of the gentry, and the impact of industrialization. It was written during the Industrial Revolution and may be a reaction to it.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silas_Marner

Truly as Brother Kondo renders race/class
consciousness irrelevant as life lessons,
so does he intone that authenticity is
not narcissism or self-centeredness.
It is a fluid transparency of self in
all we do and with all whom we love.
Thus the great paradox: When we share
ourselves authentically, those
with whom we share find themselves
confronted with an invitation to be
themselves, too. They find their
authentic story in the sharing of our own.
Thus the gift of self or the gift of presence.http://www.lvrj.com/living/revealing-self-is-natural-part-of-being-human-93224229.html

“In Poetry -“which has this superiority over all the other arts, that its medium, language, is the least imitative, and is in the most complex relations with what it expresses.”

That statement was made by the great George Eliot. Yes, the novelist-poet George Eliot. Rarely read now, George Eliot’s poetry has been condemned, like her historical novel Romola, as the product of too much labor and not enough art. Certainly she wrote some long, tedious verse (The Spanish Gypsy is five volumes long). But her contemporary Richard Holt Hutton’s assessment that “Verse to her is a fetter, and not a stimulus” is a little unfair, especially in light of Bernard Paris’s 1959 discovery of a notebook crammed with unpublished poems and prose. Eliot’s poetry can suffer from the sins of Victorianism”turgid rhyming, leaden meters, frequent ponderousness”but in her poems we can also see her continued efforts to chip away at the problems that so preoccupy her novels. Eliot used her poetry as a way to arrive at new understandings of the issues she struggled with in her criticism, her fiction, and her life: how do we know that we understand the world, and other people, correctly? What are the promises, and problems, of science? What is the role of women? Her poetry doesn’t dramatize these conflicts as much as expose them. In her brilliant, short philosophical lyric “I Grant You Ample Leave,” Eliot manages to gather together most of the buds of her thought on perception, consciousness, and language, creating in 21 short lines a stunning bouquet of intellect, argument, and hypotheses. While the poem addresses themes found in her long poem “A College Breakfast-Party,” and even touches upon some of the great debates in Middlemarch, the brevity of “I Grant You Ample Leave” powers it forward. Its dense compactness, adept handling of scientific language, and unexpected rhymes demonstrate an understanding of poetry’s potential to render “complex relations” in a form that feels shockingly modern”especially coming from the woman who, for many, epitomized Victorian high-minded seriousness.

George Eliot was serious, and high-minded, but her life was quite “improper” by many good Victorians’ standards. She stopped attending church as a young woman in Coventry, a cause for grave concern in provincial 1840s England. Then she moved to London by herself at the spinster’s age of 31 to take on the editorship of the liberal magazine Westminster Review. There, she wrote scathing reviews of her contemporaries’ misguided Calvinism, novel-writing, and much else. Worse than all these was her relationship with George Henry Lewes, a philosopher, amateur scientist, and enthusiastic writer of popular tomes”a sort of Victorian Malcolm Gladwell”with whom she lived and worked closely for over 20 years. Though she took his surname, they never married. They couldn’t. Lewes remained married though estranged from his wife, Agnes, until his death in 1878. Lewes exerted an enormous influence on Eliot as a writer and thinker, and their relationship was fundamentally collaborative. “I Grant You Ample Leave” is the product of Eliot’s engagement with Lewes’s scientific theories. In fact, part of what makes the poem so good is that it doesn’t feel like poetry. It feels like a fragment, an outpouring, not something plotted and straitjacketed into verse; it feels so fragmentary that Bernard Paris believed this poem was once part of the longer “A College Breakfast-Party,” though he wasn’t certain why Eliot cut it. But the very form of the poem does suggest that it has been plucked from midair. The poem begins with a shortened line of six syllables before sliding into blank verse, and is offset by quotation marks:

“I grant you ample leave
To use the hoary formula “Ã‹Å“I am’
Naming the emptiness where thought is not;
But fill the void with definition, “Ã‹Å“I’
Will be no more a datum than the words
You link false inference with, the “Ã‹Å“Since’ & “Ã‹Å“so’
That, true or not, make up the atom-whirl. [ . . . “]

Though it begins as a potentially ironic concession”to grant someone “leave” is to allow them their opinion; “ample leave” suggests a large opinion indeed”it uses a series of rhetorical turns to complicate our understanding of both the original position and the proffered alternative. The question the poem asks”what is consciousness, “the emptiness where thought is not”?”is so large that even Eliot’s most complicated arguments, robed in her most strenuous syntax, can’t solve it. The poem ends with a question mark.

Lewes and Eliot were thoroughly immersed in the evolving nature of scientific thought. Historical criticism of the Bible had cast doubt on the reality of God; science increasingly seemed to provide a grand design that could potentially explain all. Examining nature systematically revealed structures of great complexity”but how to account for the least structured, most complex “organism” of them all: humans and human society? It was a question Lewes and Eliot both took up with gusto. “I Grant You Ample Leave” starts with that concession, though the admission quickly doubles back into denial. The poem begins its complicated argument with a point about the poverty of language: using a “hoary formula” to describe the great “void” of consciousness is to bring the mystery down to the level of “datum””something given or granted. There could be no worse prospect for the scientifically minded George Eliot. Investigating, ascertaining, and constant judging were the paths to truth, mere acceptance was not. The “false inference” in line six may make up the next line’s “atom-whirl,” but note the odd flavor of that pair: while the poem is salted with scientific language, “atom-whirl” combines all kinds of registers at once. In the medieval period, an “atom” referred to the smallest unit of time; to the ancient Greeks (and Eliot read Greek), it was one of the ultimate particles of matter and indivisible; by Eliot’s day, it was understood to mean a particle that, in the aggregate, composed materiality itself. Eliot would have known all these definitions, and meant them all, but by attaching that crazed, unscientific, onomatopoeic “whirl,” she swiftly undermines the very world her listener believes in.

Such large, complex points get made on a linguistic level throughout the poem. The next lines read: “Resolve your “Ã‹Å“Ego’, it is all one web / With vibrant ether clotted into worlds.” Again, “resolve” could mean to declare but also to dissolve or break up; “Ego” in pre-Freudian parlance simply meant a conscious, thinking subject. Eliot seems to be advising not the solidification required by “definition” but the dispersal of subjectivity in order to understand life’s great “web” filled with ether, a substance then believed to be the medium through which light moved. Using “ether” as a metaphor for other kinds of illumination, Eliot depicts light clotting to produce “worlds.” That plural is significant: for Eliot, and Lewes, one problem of subjectivity was that it depended upon a limited set of sense perceptions”the world as small and crowded and dirty for one person, but expansive, wealthy, and well ordered for another. But the various worlds of the world could be unified only through the very subjectivity that produced the problem in the first place. For Eliot and Lewes, imagination became the key to envisioning the world as it truly was; through the scientifically grounded imagination, you could inhabit other experiences and gain a perspective from which the world did indeed resemble “one web.” The next lines demonstrate the cost of such a perspective:

Your subject, self, or self-assertive “Ã‹Å“I’
Turns nought but object, melts to molecules,
Is stripped from naked Being with the rest
Of those rag-garments named the Universe.

Gaining an accurate understanding of the world meant turning “your subject, self, or self-assertive “Ã‹Å“I'” into an “object,” allowing it to melt to “molecules” (another old word that was gaining new meanings by the late 19th century) and recognizing that much of what we think of as the “Universe” is simply “named””reality is covered by the “rag-garments” of language. Eliot’s poem contains, as her novels also do, the seeds of a nearly postmodern understanding of self and world: as things composed of language, made of perspectives, and so inherently unstable.

But the poem keeps turning, anticipating possible rebuttals and counterarguments. Fighting against such a conception of the cosmos means foregrounding the “Ego” by making it nearly godlike, the “weaver of the etherial light” in line 15. Here “etherial” points backward, to its older meaning as the heavens. Eliot, after her early battle translating Richard Strauss’s Life of Jesus, no longer believed in the divinity of God. Attempting to account for “Space, motion, solids & the dream of Time” with God, a creation of the human “Ego,” can’t account for line 17’s “Being looking from the dark.” As a system that explained everything, religion couldn’t explain individual consciousness, the reasons we all experience our “bubble-worlds” of “sense, pleasure, pain” in unique ways. But the poem doesn’t seem quite certain that science can explain them either. “What are they,” the speaker finally asks in the poem’s penultimate line, “but a shifting otherness / Phantasmal flux of moments?” Lewes ultimately believed in the self as the product of a set of relationships, and Eliot’s novels are well noted for the ways in which they demonstrate how individuals are shaped by their communities. The interaction between a “self” and its “surroundings” was, for Eliot and Lewes, linked to their understanding of the interaction between an “organism” and its “medium””each made the other, and in doing so made itself. Eliot’s poem ends with a gesture toward that idea of unity between subject and object, but after the near-technical precision of the poem’s earlier language clashes with the imprecision of phrases like “shifting otherness” and “Phantasmal flux.” The poem’s word choice seems to demonstrate that the world remains mysterious, even as it acts upon “Being.” The poem’s rhymes and end-words mimic its struggle with explicability: full rhymes occur at huge intervals and across paired words, like “atom-whirl” with “bubble-world”; chains of near-rhymes get set up””light,” “Time,” “pain””and yet

Like or Dislike: 00

Curtis Narimatsu

Rev. Hung Wai Ching 1905-2002 was fascinated by
communism in the 1930s, not aware of Stalin’s
genocidal purges, inasmuch Hung Wai grew up dirt
poor in tenement Emmaville [where Dan Inouye born
1924 grew up a generation later], & Hung Wai so
desperately wanted to see equality for all people.
Hung Wai’s urge stemmed from Hung Wai beating up
all the J_p kids on the block when Hung Wai was a
kid, Hung Wai always looking for the biggest J_p,
who always was shorter/smaller than Hung Wai.
Hung Wai grew to be a 5’10″³ trackster/hoopster, an
agile giant for his era. Hung Wai is our greatest
wayfinder, and the genesis of our 100th Batt./442
RCT. Nonetheless, Hung Wai’s peachkiss w/
communism disappeared when Hung Wai found out about
Stalin’s purges, so that by the time Masato Doi born 1921 headed the 442 org in ’51, Hung Wai exploded when Masato was on a radio interview which had ILWU’s Jack Hall 1915-1971 [Hawai’i 7 red bait], which Masato wasn’t aware of. Hung Wai tore into Masato, incensed that Masato didn’t walk off the set.

Anyway, Charley Fujimoto 1917-2001 was a UH chemist
& wife Eileen 1920-2008 an ILWU secretary, both
caught up in Hung Wai’s earlier dream of commie
utopia. Denichi Jack Kimoto 1906-1995 was kibei/
from Ewa plantation but later moved to Japan/California, and WWII military service like Koji Ariyoshi/Yugo Okubo. Kimoto assisted Koji at Koji’s newspaper [Koji revulsed at the thought of unrelated George Ariyoshi having Koji’s last name]. Incredulously, the U.S. Atty Gen. called mild-mannered self-effacing Kimoto “one of the 6 most dangerous persons in the United States!”

On Aug. 28, 1951, FBI agents arrested seven Hawai’i residents on charges of conspiring to teach and advocate the violent overthrow of the U.S. government.

Dubbed the Hawaii Seven, they were ILWU regional director Jack Hall, Honolulu Record publisher Koji Ariyoshi, University of Hawai’i chemist and Hawai’i chairman of the Communist Party Charles Fujimoto, Fujimoto’s wife Eileen (an ILWU secretary), former Farrington High School teacher John Reinecke and Honolulu Record employees Jack Kimoto and Dwight James Freeman. They were all charged under the 1940 Smith Act.

According to an essay on labor history in Hawai’i published by the ILWU, federal agents reportedly offered to suppress Hall’s indictment if he agreed to sever his membership’s links to the national ILWU. He refused.

The trial of the Hawaii Seven lasted more than seven months and resulted in convictions for all seven. In response, nearly 50,000 ILWU members held “stop-work meetings” at their work sites.

All the defendants except Eileen Fujimoto were sentenced to the maximum punishment “ five years in prison and a $5,000 fine. Eileen Fujimoto got a three-year prison sentence and a $2,000 fine.

Hall did not spend any time in jail. The other six each spent a week in jail and then were bailed out.

The convictions were overturned in the Circuit Court of Appeals in 1958. The decision was based on a 1957 ruling on another Smith Act case in which the U.S. Supreme Court established a distinction between advocacy of a political doctrine and advocacy of action.

Erudite Don Pakele born 1944 reports that Keaukaha’s Hualani Park is named after Hualani Lyman, wife of Rufus, Rufus being the son of David/Sarah Lyman, missionaries. The Rufus Lyman Puna Haw’n progeny are super-sweet, vs. the tight-fist David/Sarah Hilo haole progeny [today’s Lyman Museum, the so-called haole missionary museum, though it recently outreached to other/immigrant ethnicities]. Rufus Lyman married Hualani Chun (1844″Ã¢â‚¬Å“1906) who had a Chinese father and Hawaiian mother. As customary at the time, she also took a Christian first name for her Baptism. Her mother, a descendant of Chief KÃƒâ€¦«aliÃƒÅ »i of OÃƒÅ »ahu, remarried Honolulu postmaster Arthur. P. Brickwood, so Hualani’s name was anglicized to “Rebecca Brickwood” on official records for their wedding in 1866. Her Hawaiian name comes from hua lani which means “offspring from royalty” in the Hawaiian language. They had fifteen children, many of whom would become influential in different ways.

Most likely, Norman Lyman got today’s park named
after Norman’s mom Hualani. And Lyman Ave. most likely is named after Norman.

Keaukaha Park is further “down” [east] from Puhi Bay, and I remember as a child seeing Hale “Ã‹Å“Aina social hall at the top of the pu’u owned by DHHL but built by
Keaukaha community members, w/an open air pavilion at a lower elevation owned by the Keaukaha community.

Kawananakoa Hall is named after Abigail Campbell Kawananakoa, wife of Prince David Kawananakoa, Abigail facilitating social facilities for her
people, per guru Don Pakele.

Desperation drives politicians to talk about process rather than policy. Obama, who is understandably reluctant to talk about what people are concerned about, the economy, is instead talking about the political process.

In the ’70s, Richard Nixon begat the supposed corrective of the high-minded Carter. His failure begat Ronald Reagan. American politics often is a dialectic of disappointments. Nov. 2 may remind the apostle of change that (as a 2008 Republican bumper sticker warned) “Every Disaster is a Change.”

Dorian Gray Syndrome (DGS) denotes a cultural and societal phenomenon characterized by an excessive preoccupation with the individual’s own appearance accompanied by difficulties coping with the aging process and with the requirements of maturation. Sufferers of Dorian Gray Syndrome are heavy users of cosmetic medical procedures and products in an attempt to preserve their youth. Dorian Gray Syndrome is not recognized in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV).

The name alludes to Oscar Wilde’s famous novel The Picture of Dorian Gray.

Definition

The Dorian Gray Syndrome is characterized by a triad of symptoms combining diagnostic signs of dysmorphophobia, narcissistic character traits, and arrests in psychic maturation often seen in paraphilias. Dorian Gray patients frequently are excessive users of “medical lifestyle” products.

Lyrics:
Words are flowing out like
endless rain into a paper cup
They slither wildly while they pass
They slip away across the universe

“¦and I’ve sat down and looked at it and said, “Ã‹Å“Can I write another one with this meter?’ It’s so interesting. “Ã‹Å“Words are flowing out like endless rain into a paper cup/ They slither while the pass, they slip away across the universe.’ Such an extraordinary meter and I can never repeat it! It’s not a matter of craftsmanship”Ã¢â‚¬Å“ it wrote itself. It drove me out of bed. I didn’t want to write it”¦ and I couldn’t get to sleep until I put it on paper”¦ It’s like being possessed”Ã¢â‚¬Å“ like a psychic or a medium. The thing has to go down. It won’t let you sleep, so you have to get up, make it into something, and then you’re allowed to sleep. That’s always in the middle of the night when you’re half-awake or tired and your critical facilities are switched off.” http://www.lyricinterpretations.com/Beatles/Across-the-Universe

Words are flowing out like endless rain into a paper cup,
They slither while they pass, they slip away across the universe
Pools of sorrow, waves of joy are drifting through my open mind,
Possessing and caressing me.
Jai guru deva om

Images of broken light which dance before me like a million eyes,
They call me on and on across the universe,
Thoughts meander like a restless wind inside a letter box they
Tumble blindly as they make their way
Across the universe
Jai guru deva om

Sounds of laughter shades of light are ringing
Through my open views inciting and inviting me
Limitless undying love which shines around me like a
Million suns, it calls me on and on
Across the universe
Jai guru deva om
Nothing’s gonna change my world,
Nothing’s gonna change my world,

In his 1970 interview with Rolling Stone, Lennon referred to the song as perhaps the best, most poetic lyric he ever wrote.
” It’s one of the best lyrics I’ve written. In fact, it could be the best. It’s good poetry, or whatever you call it, without chewin’ it. See, the ones I like are the ones that stand as words, without melody. They don’t have to have any melody, like a poem, you can read them.”http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Across_the_Universe

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Qi/ki, Eastern vital energy/life force, supposedly emanates 2 inches inside of our belly button/navel, not 2 inches south of it toward the genitals. Qi
originates between the kidneys, so the ancient saying goes.

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Gomen nasai, Wilfred Oka was not among the Hawai’i 7 red bait defendants.

Laurence Olivier’s friendship with Gielgud was peppered with barely acknowledged competitive tension, for, while Olivier’s fame as a film actor eventually eclipsed Gielgud’s, Gielgud had been the great Shakespearean actor when Olivier was just coming up and that was hard for Olivier to forget. Gielgud maintained a very close relationship with Olivier’s second wife, Vivien Leigh, throughout their marriage, divorce, and her long struggle with manic depression. In Curtain (1991), Michael Korda’s novel based on the marriage of Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh, Gielgud becomes Philip Chagrin.

For Curtis, I will vote. I will hate having to vote because I do so against my better judgment when my natural inclination is to “Ã‹Å“rebel’ with a blank vote, but I totally understand what that does. It prevents me from “Ã‹Å“belly aching’ on the other side when who ever is elected “ despite any/every blank vote “ provides media fodder. I would be a hypocrite to write anything about anyone if I did not vote. It may be a feel good measure initially but will plague those who later find themselves at total odds with the eventual victor and no one really left to blame but themselves because they did not vote. I respect the process too much to leave a blank vote”¦hate myself maybe for having to choose, but honor the system. Argh!

Yvonne Elliman Roosevelt High ’70, dad Irish, mom Chinese/Japanese, is my most famous peer. Yvonne
starred in 1973 blockbuster movie Jesus Christ Superstar w/great actor-vocalist Ted Neeley. Her 2 #1 career hit tunes are
“I don’t know how to love him” from Jesus Christ Superstar, & “If I can’t have you” from the movie Saturday Night Fever, for which she was tabbed to sing the BeeGees song “How deep is your love,” but producer Bob Stigwood had composers the BeeGees do it.

Desi Arnaz’ Babalu club was the romper in I Love Lucy w/his wife Lucille Ball, and the only ethnic slur was loving, when Lucy mimicked Desi’s broken English when she was mad. Bill Cosby is Arnaz’ progeny “ no ethnic slur from a non-white performer. Great yet nuanced/subtle actor Don Cheadle has both Arnaz’/
Cosby’s color-blind approach, Cheadle a real-life
samaritan “ the school where his sister Cindy works, Potomac School in McLean, Virginia, is involved with raising awareness of the genocide in Darfur, a cause Cheadle is also involved in. In 2007, Cheadle was awarded the BET Humanitarian award of the year for his numerous humanitarian services he rendered for the cause of the people of Darfur and Rwanda.

In 2010 Cheadle, who is also an avid golfer, became the first celebrity spokesman for Dixon Golf, maker of the world’s first recyclable golf ball. He has indicated his support for Dixon Golf stems from his dual passion for environmentalism and golf.

On December 13, 2007, Cheadle and fellow actor George Clooney were presented with the Summit Peace Award by the Nobel Peace Prize Laureates in Rome for their work to stop the genocide and relieve the suffering of the people of Darfur. The award was presented by the World Summit of Nobel Laureates, Mikhail Gorbachev, and TheCommunity.com.

In 2008, Cheadle’s family history was profiled on the PBS series African American Lives 2.

Buddy Azevedo born 1932 wanted Case to hang in there vs. Hanabusa for the primary election. Buddy asked Case’s wife Audrey Nakamura guarantee that Case not gonna’ drop out vs. Hanabusa, right? Guarantee, said Case’s wife. One week later, Case dropped out. Yokoyama born 1926 asked Case in 2006 guarantee Case would not run vs. Akaka, right? Guarantee, said Case. One week later, Case announced his run vs. Akaka. With Case, you gonna get double-crossed on tactics, but not on policy matters. He’s consistent about policy issues. Too consistent for his own good, per former Lingle GOP Al Nakaji born 1951 [Lingle too bogged down in 2d term, per Nakaji]. Hawai’i voters amended our State Constitution in 1998 granting the state legislature the power to prevent same-sex marriage from being conducted or recognized in Hawaii. Our Amendment differs from defense of marriage amendments approved in other states in that it does not define marriage. It was the first constitutional amendment related to same-sex marriage adopted in the United States. Despite the will of the people, that we have spoken, Case tells Nakaji that Case has to follow Case’s own conscience, and not be governed/lorded over by the the constituents he represents. In other words, Case would promote same sex marriage despite popular opinion to the contrary. Case is not a team player. When Hirono beat Case in the Governor primary race, Case ran for Patsy Mink’s U.S. House seat and didn’t help Hirono vs. Lingle. Hirono was disappointed in Case’s
self-attentive nature.

Pinoy/sakada would say “you pa-ray macao [afraid
of your own shadow],” when urging on others to be
brave/courageous. So when a plantation strike vote came, Pinoy/sakada would say “manso,” strike, strike,
& outnumber other laborers [Japanese/Portuguese]. Our Korean laborers organized first in Kea’au, where Puna Sugar fka Olaa Sugar under later AmFac was among our largest operations, thence Suka Chung’s [1924-
2010] Kapoho roots [part of Puna Sugar]. Of course, today’s Methodist church mauka of our Hilo public library is the centennial result of our Korean Christian mission in Kea’au, which anchored from Kea’au to Hilo 2 decades later [at north end of Haili St. –today’s Kushi bldg./law office site –where Haili St. meets Kilauea Ave. at old Western store site –now new McDonald’s], & then moved to its current site on Waianuenue Ave. in 1957, some 5 yrs. after our current Hilo public library was built.

Yes, St. Alban’s church & social hall a century ago were where today’s Methodist church is, but St. Alban’s was our Episcopal church [today’s huge church at Kapi’olani St. makai of our old UH-Hilo gym], and for its horse/buggy era, its coveted social hall was deemed too mauka/inland-uphill for most functions downtown, inasmuch Waianuenue was nothing more than a hazardous craggy horse trail back then.

Nisei/2nd generation Japanese-American Alex Akita 1896-1987 was full of himself “ he’d wear white gloves a la drill sgt. at boot camp to lord over
his charges/kids at Honomu Hongwanji church. Out of deference to Akita, Masa Ishii born 1926 [no relation to blowhard Tsukasa] would say, yes, Alex.

How can a man with working testicl*s/phall*s avoid
the enthralling clutch of Hell’s Belle, Norwegian-born murder-for-profit killer who killed her suitors and children in Indiana??

Be arrested by her incredible caress! To-wit “

“To the Dearest Friend in the World: No woman in the world is happier than I am. I know that you are now to come to me and be my own. I can tell from your letters that you are the man I want. It does not take one long to tell when to like a person, and you I like better than anyone in the world, I know. Think how we will enjoy each other’s company. You, the sweetest man in the whole world. We will be all alone with each other. Can you conceive of anything nicer? I think of you constantly. When I hear your name mentioned, and this is when one of the dear children speaks of you, or I hear myself humming it with the words of an old love song, it is beautiful music to my ears.
My heart beats in wild rapture for you, My Dearest, I love you. Come prepared to stay forever. “Ã¢â‚¬Å“Belle”

One night at dinner, she raised the issue of her mortgage. Anderson agreed that he would pay this off if they decided to wed. He was almost convinced to return to his hometown, retrieve his money, then start a life with her.

Late that night, Anderson awoke to see her standing over him, peering down with a strange look in her eyes. She held a guttering candle in her hand and the expression on her face was so forbidding and sinister that he let out a loud yell. Without uttering a word, she ran from the room. Anderson jumped out of bed, struggled into his clothes and fled from the house, soon taking a train to Missouri. [she was going to kill him w/a chloroform sponge — she preyed on old fart men, whilst she had the hugest bazoombers on her Amazonian 5’8+” 200 lb.+ body beautiful [BBW] frame.

Standing over five feet and eight inches (173 cm) tall and weighing over 200 pounds (91 kg), she was a physically strong woman. She killed most of her suitors and boyfriends, and her two daughters, Myrtle and Lucy. She may also have killed both of her husbands and all of her children, on different occasions. Her apparent motives involved collecting life-insurance benefits. Reports estimate that she killed more than 40 persons over several decades.

Do you know that lonely heart/honeymoon killer couple’s Puerto Rican Raymond Fernandez is from Hawai’i?

Oh, Amazonian Hell’s Belle really meant it when she induced/enticed her suitor “to come prepared to stay forever.” If the old geezer [I retract, ’cause I see ole’ geezers w/one leg in the coffin get the hots for Hell’s Belle, even though “d’are machine stay broke,” & no can get the rod up, so to speak
😉 ] doesn’t have the appetite to eat a square meal [being old bones] & thereby ingest undetectable poison in his food, then Belle waits till moemoe/
sleep time, & then suffocates him w/chloroform as you see with attempt on suitor Anderson in post at 3:02 p.m. 45 minutes ago. If she got’em KOd via food poisoning, she then splits his head open w/her cleaver for good measure, and as she does w/her optional bedside victim via chloroform suffocation,
she chops up the body & feeds the parts to her hogs. Geezers are too old to eat for human consumption.

LOL! Curtis. You put it as plain as jane. “Ã¢â‚¬Å“from Casual Observer

Curt Says:
October 18th, 2010 at 5:14 pm

Thank you very much for your kind expressions, Casual Observer! You can see Barry’s ganko/bobora minus sides in his full-of-himself son Toby, so unlike Toby’s deceased mama Bonnie Navarro of Kea’au. But I give Barry credit for not acceding to imposter Gerald De Mello’s frame-up UH Hilo hall of fame. Barry’s boy Derek Kurisu undeservedly is in there, along w/De Mello’s other special interest cronies [Jerry Chang/
Laura Figueira of my native Pauka’a/Russ Okata/etc.].
It should be called Gerald De Mello’s special interest favoritism hall of fame. Why not throw in Harry Kim while you’re at it, Gerald? Harry is the greatest carpetbagger in the history of our Haw’n
Islands. But you know what, Kim bagged out on Gerald’s Democratic Party in 2000 when Kim ran on the GOP ticket for mayor. And Kim promptly forgot about his GOP when he won over Holschuh. Remember, Kim was gonna’ run on the Democratic ticket vs. Lingle in 2006, until he saw imposter Lingle’s popularity rating soar above his. Typical Kim, our eschewed
opportunist.

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Hi Mert/KL: Superb acting permeates a real life hero in Mickey Ward. Mickey is the never-say-die protagonist who’s beloved even among African-Americans, which tells you Mickey is for real. Aloha, “Ã¢â‚¬Å“Curt

KTA downtown store has no underground basement/cellar
portion. This building was erected in 1939 on what
formerly were ground level storefronts. The parking lot to the originally named Baker bldg. 1937 [today’s Filipino store/bakery] on Mamo St. was known as “pump
sand” until the Baker bldg. was erected. “Pump sand”
meant that sand was pumped from this site over to
Ponahawai St. 1923 for its land reclamation project
to drain out/fill in swampland where today’s
service station/convenience store is at SW corner
Ponahawai St./Kamehameha Ave. In the rear
of the Hata bldg. mauka of Punahoa St. 1920 was
“sand pond” where a tributary of old Alenai’o stream pooled in the land sump/depression. Today’s
expanded downtown KTA parking lot was the original site of “Little Tokyo”/”Nippon alley” 1885-1914,
destroyed by our biggest fire/inferno [lamp or wiring]
in downtown history, the conflagration version of the
1946/1960 tsunami. “Motomachi” [origin] refers to
Kamehameha Ave. as Main St. a century ago by our
Issei immigrants. Kuni Suzuki was our earliest downtown Issei merchant [not Kuni’s dry goods], who loved “out of race” Haw’n/Luso women, so it’s ironic that he’s our genesis buddahead, so to speak. Kuni made “Little Tokyo” the Issei hub over a century ago.
Hata has nothing to do w/genesis Kuni.

Barry Taniguchi’s insolent son Toby carries a cross for his pugnacious rigidity. He is in descendancy a Hiroshima original “ concentration of power amasses the immunity of power. Unlike contrarian Toby, his late great mother Bonnie Navarro of Kea’au was liberated from societal class hegemony by listening and learning and deepening in her understanding of life at its deepest core “ being loved and appreciated for loving. So whilst Toby relentlessly engages narcissistic self-indulgence, his mama lovingly engaged people in their simplest element, enveloped by love and calm. Visualize what this highly intelligent and educated bi-racial Filipino man Toby can realize in his status as a leading figure if he had not fixed his star to a single unconvincing postulate of money is god, our
class & race-conscious Hiroshima maxim. Shoga nai,
what may one do, gang, huh? 🙂

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Stevie Wonder’s haunting refrain “Ã¢â‚¬Å“

All is fair in love
Love’s a crazy game
Two people vow to stay
In love as one they say.
But all is changed with time
The future no one can see
The road you leave behind
Ahead lies mystery.
But all is fair in love
I had to go away
A writer takes his pen
To write the words again
That all in love is fair

All of fate’s a chance
It’s either good or bad
I tossed my coin to say
In love with me you’d stay

But all in war is so cold
You either win or lose
When all is put away
The losing side I’ll play
But all is fair in love.

I should never have left your side
A writer takes his pen
To write the words again
That all in love is fair.

Wow!

Okay, all is fair in love & war is Stevie Wonder’s uptake on his deepest yet highest trill/ouvre “Ã¢â‚¬Å“
per our innermost emotions, there are no rules “Ã¢â‚¬Å“
love is inexplicable just as war is inexplicable “Ã¢â‚¬Å“
love for family, love for village, love for country-
nationhood. Insane, yes, no rules govern our innermost emotions. Stevie, I know exactly how you feel. With everlasting love, Ai! 🙂

Everyone has a favorite reading list. Idiosyncrasy,
but carry-over/lasting impact is metaphysical, such as Eichi Oki born 1925 & his love for Albert Schweitzer, or Jack Burns 1909-1975 & his love for St. Thomas Aquinas [Summa Theologica — everyone’s equal before
God], or Thomas Edison & his love for Tom Paine, or
James Madison & his love for John Locke.

According to SIPRI, total world spending on military expenses in 2009 was $1.531 trillion US dollars. 46.5% of this total, roughly $712 billion US dollars, was spent by the United States. The privatization of the production and invention of military technology also leads to a complicated relationship with significant research and development of many technologies.

The Military budget of the United States for the 2009 fiscal year was $515.4 billion. Adding emergency discretionary spending and supplemental spending brings the sum to $651.2 billion. This does not include many military-related items that are outside of the Defense Department budget. Overall the United States government is spending about $1 trillion annually on defense-related purposes.

The defense industry tends to contribute heavily to incumbent members of Congress.

US President George Bush told his Argentine counterpart Nestor Kirchner during a summit in Mexico that the war economy has stimulated US growth and the “best way to revitalize the economy is war.”

Source: http://www.sipri.org/research/armaments/production/Top100 “Arms sales are defined by SIPRI as sales of military goods and services to military customers, including both domestic and export sales. Military goods and services are those which are designed specifically for military purposes.”

The point missed “ or avoided “ by Dowd is that men and women can be equally dumbfounded and equally “mean,” if in sometimes gender-tilted ways. What is gratifying about this season is that we have enough women running that we can criticize them without resorting to the old catfight canard.

Some women, just like some men, are simply unqualified and should be “refudiated” on their merits or the lack thereof. That Queen Bee Sarah has led the hive of busy benefactors, meanwhile, should be cause for a celebration of sorts “ and would be if the brewing brood were Democrats. Why, a swell of liberal women threatening to take over Congress with tough, manhood-withering talk would have the sisterhood in cackles.

Once upon a time, Dowd and I were appearing together on “The Chris Matthews Show” to discuss Dowd’s book “Are Men Necessary?” In the green room, I remember telling her: “We have more in common with each other than with them [the men and others who would relish our disagreement]. They obviously want a catfight. Let’s deny them.”

And so we did.

It is a testament to feminism that we have so many female candidates. That we may dislike or disagree with some “ or find them foolish “ is as the world turns.

Sisterhood means letting women be just as dumb “ and mean “ as men.

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Helene Hale loved bombast/glare of the spotlight,
which is why she was diminished, as was Keiko Bonk.

Just discoursed w/erudite Keoki Kai born 1965. John Paul Stevens’ legacy is empiricism “ DNA tests exonerated convicts, and Stevens then railed vs. capital punishment as our savage anachronism. Good
science. Keoki’s UoPacific’s Justice Anthony Kennedy is the do or die deciding vote. Kennedy good head on his shoulders. Clarence Thomas the most brazen demagogue. Keoki asks if Clarence’s white wife Virj
even told Clarence about Virj’s overtures vs. Anita Hill. Absolutely “ Clarence so delusional/
megalomaniac, that Clarence’s delusions of powerful grandeur immunize Clarence from strictures vs. salt of the earth. Clarence doesn’t listen to friends who remind him/Virj not to redux the past/sexual
harassment charges by Anita Hill, who had nothing to gain by coming out to expose Thomas. Ridiculous
“king can do no wrong” mentality by the Thomas
couple. Right wingers on the U.S. Supreme Court are Thomas/fellow ultra-demagogue Tony Scalia/Alito/Roberts. Kennedy is the swing vote [centrist], & to the left are San Francisco’s Breyer & NYC borough bunch Ginsburg/Sotomayor/Kagan.

From immensely knowledgeable Dean Edmoundson born
1945 “Ã¢â‚¬Å“

“If” is the biggest/most important word in Scripture.
God says, “If you love me, then obey me.” John 14:15

“If” is man’s will to choose or not God.

Obedience is important, not sacrifice. 1 Samuel 15:22

Meaning that, as a parent says to his/her child,
“Darling, do not go out of your way & make
sacrifices for me, just obey me, okay?”

“If” is conditional, and in this condition beholds
our most critical solution, obey or defy God.

“If” is the most important word in Scripture. Dean Edmoundson was born again as an Assembly of God Christian at age 4, nearly 61 yrs. ago. There is no
one more knowledgeable about Scripture than kahu
Edmoundson. Pololei! 🙂

It is fortuitous that such a defier like me is blessed by the sagacious cognitive kahu Brother
Edmoundson. Of course, as Dean would say,
nothing ever is fortuitous. Love eternally, ai!

Thank you kindly and lovingly, Toni Robert, for your wondrous stream of consciousness. Actually, I ascribe calming “simplicity” to your coda/benchmark. Simplicity as in Buddha’s shade of the bodhi tree, or Muhammad’s quiet walk in the valley, or even Jesus’ kneeling to comfort and heal our forsaken beast of burden on the Sabbath. Simplicity. Do not Buddha, Muhammad, and Jesus present different views/opinions which can delve down through the conscious into the unconscious and the infinite mind, the alleged power latent there? Or even a Stephen King, if one entices the boogeyman to enter stage left. Enjoy your dreams.
What may the dark of the nite bring but intrigue &
mystery? 🙂

I’m a big fan of gifted extraordinary writer Peter
Serafin, whose way with words are for the ages,
“Ã¢â‚¬Å“ “His career flatlined “¦”
“Penn is also virtually the only one in the UFC to publicly condemn steroids in a sport where testing is so flimsy that some say 90 percent of the competitors “Ã‹Å“juice.'” Wow!

Unbeknownst to Peter, Peter himself has enabled BJ
to address BJ’s “tyranny of the should” “Ã¢â‚¬Å“

Self-actualization is something that individuals strive for. It is important to know the differences between your ideal and real self. One feels that there is a flaw somewhere in comparison to what one “should” be. The goals set out are not realistic, or indeed possible. The despised self, on the other hand, has the feeling that one is despised by those around such person, and assumes that this incarnation is its “true” self. Thus, one is like a clock’s pendulum, oscillating between a fallacious “perfection” and a manifestation of self-loathe “ phenomenon of “tyranny of the should.” Such ingrained traits of the psyche prevent an individual’s potential from being actualized unless the tyranny of the should is somehow broken via realistic introspection & assessment. BJ takes his
metaphysical walk to self-actualization and eventual
transcendence, in no small part helped by Peter Serafin’s loving and instructive influence.

Beautiful article about an endearing soul in BJ Penn.

JCCH retrogade a la John Birch Society/Tea Party today.
JCCH/regular Chamber of Commerce always right wing. Board of Directors laden w/Buddahead FCU cyber-clickers.
Oyabun/boss Larry Isemoto octogenarian, ran as GOP for County Council, thought his name recognition as head of Isemoto Contracting [took over for dad Hisato] would win him a seat, but was beaten by grassrooter Dem Merle Lai. Isemoto, like predecessor Tommy Hirano, utterly decent man/really nice fella, but his political acumen direly wanting, to say the least. See, erudite Toni Roberts, can never judge a book by its cover. Hitler/Goering charm you to death, but look who they are. JCCH not
Nazi, but just the same on that continuum “ J_p master race.

Racial [Jerry Chang’s mama is Japanese];
J_p master race superiority; Hapai a pocho, and to top it off, a bushy haired pocho [looks like brabas — Popolo, but not]; your theories need to be race-based.
I was peachkissing my dearest communicant Toni Robert “ Toni is correct, her instincts do not fail her “Ã¢â‚¬Å“
eugenics, baby! Talk to Keoki Kai about his longtime
Waiakea Villas neighbor JCCH. Talk to Keoki’s mgr. Ivan Takamoto [out of race, because only half-Jap].
Talk to Keoki’s UH bosom buddy Weiss [Japan scholar/wife Nipponese], both of whom were banished/
excluded because they’re “out of race,” so to speak.
Stigma/scorn, baby. ;-(

My dearest friend Kaloa Robinson [actual African-
American/Popolo – Haw’n] born 1965 on JCCH bd. of
directors as cosmetic “diversity” [of course, had JCCH had the sharps to know Kaloa is Popolo, Kaloa wouldn’t get on board, so to speak] “ Kaloa the most loving soul this side of Eden, though Kaloa clueless about J_ps. Kaloa’s most gorgeous sweetest Wife Cecily [hapa-haole Haw’n] clueless about J_ps, but full-on loving just the same. JCCH paper boss Randy Kurohara another story “ Randy’s dad is Mamo St. dapper dan Ernie [Ernie’s dad fka Kurohara Tailor; Ernie’s older sis is HPM mogul Bobby Fujimoto’s dearest wife Alice]; Randy’s brother is M.D. money is god Kevin “ Randy bought Creative Arts from JCC icon Roland Higashi born 1940; Randy got picked up hapai ball from Kenoi as Kenoi’s R&D figurehead; Randy’s outfit pays ground rent to Lincoln Ashida’s contractor dad at Kalaniana’ole Ave. Or, as astute Toni Roberts euphemistically puts it, “and the beat goes on.” [actually, the beat goes off into cronyism]. BTW, Keoki Kai/Keoki’s right wing cuz Keoni Kai, both born 1965, not pocho, but because Kai is hi maka maka Haw’n/St. Joe alum namesake, Kai thought by discerning minds to be pocho. Not so. Kai English “ Carter clan [& Haw’n/Chinese]. Keoni the sweetest GOP chap “ I love GOPs because a fella like Keoni is very independent-thinking. Not progressive politically like brilliant mind Keoki, but esteemed/valued just the same. I love GOPs. I cannot stand tyrants/demagogues like pocho lucifers Gerald De Mello/Butch Castro, & espanol Larry Balberde. I take a GOP Keoni Kai any day of the week, for Keoni’s goodness of heart, despite Keoni’s clueless politics.
Democrat or GOP, what gives? The heart, baby, not eugenics [as in JCCH]. Actually, class war “ any chamber of commerce “ used to be small town shopkeepers, now moguls “ always to enrich themselves on the shoulders of the peons. Just the same, I love GOP Keoni, a man of deserved cojones.

Moralistic homily “ my own take “ of Hugh Clark’s thumbs up to our Japanese Chamber of Commerce. When my J_p peer expressed his dismay at my use of the word “J_p,” I deleted the “a” letter [as in a-hole]. So, to my ILWU heroes, you’re not J_p, you’re JA
[Japanese American]. Yasuki Arakaki/Skippy Onuma/
Saburo Fujisaki of Kea’au “ Shige Nakatani [judge Gail’s dad]/Tsune Nago/Rocky Higa of Pepe’ekeo “Ã¢â‚¬Å“
why are Kea’au/Pepe’ekeo buddahead girls militant-
valorous [Jack Hall’s wife Yoshiko Ogawa/Dave Thompson’s wife Mitsue Shinchi]?? 1) the bigger the
plantation, the more stratified its social structure/
division of labor, thence more feuds between haves/
have nots “ Kea’au/Pepe’ekeo huge operations; 2)
Arakaki of Kea’au & Nakatani of Pepe’ekeo were ultra-
militant/fearless, thereby inspiring audacity/pupule
pride in their ranks; 3) such pride rubbed off on the “fairer” sex, so to speak “ thence, turncoats like Ogawa/Shinchi [not really, testosterone/estrogen
horniness], Norsemen Hall/Thompson their Prince Charming. Of course, Hakalau JAs had Sonny Omonaka/
Grown Yugawa, & Honomu had Hajime Kawasaki [Lionel’s dad] & token Luso Dan Farias. For the most part,
other Luso were sumaran [good for nothing] or
non-existent. Of course, Pinoy then developed leaders to supplant the dwindling J_ps [who left the plantations]. “Macao” [coward] was the battle cry of Pinoy who took up the mantle left behind by J_ps,
referring to J_ps. Militant begat more militant, as you see with abusive Bobo Lapenia. My hero is Brother Dean Edmoundson born 1945, whose balance/
equanimity are beyond compare. Dean is the most knowledgeable fella I know on Scripture. Dean is
the patience of Job, the perseverance of Joseph, the audacity of Nathan, all rolled into one. No, Bobo Lapenia is not Dean, though they’re from the same neck of the woods. Bobo’s ILWU successor [whom Bobo
did not endorse] was Ninole/Kaumana 1 mile camp’s Fred Galdones, an angel on our shoulder like Dean. In the unending process of Jesus’ sanctification, Dean’s faith/obedience in Jesus are remarkable examples of the spiritual walk, though we all fall short, part of our human condition, so to speak.

Keoki Kai born 1965, young as he is, ranks among our greatest political pundits, and is the bridge between the old [boomer gen born 1946-1964] and the new [x gen]. Keoki’s grandpa/tutu kane George Kai 1913-1988 was a crusader for the common lot, even though George was raised aristocratic. George was radicalized by the Great Depression, when George’s papa John Kai Jr. 1878-1962 went broke, even though John was the Warren Buffett of the Hawaiian Islands. Which is why George was Democrat, even though his dad John Kai Jr. was chairman of our mogul GOP a century ago. George was bosom buddy of fellow Whittier College [Quaker] classmate President Nixon. George went on to become our greatest laborer advocate under Jack Burns’ administration, inasmuch George was bosom buddy of Burns’ greatest administrative confidant Bert Kobayashi. Kobayashi was 3 yrs. younger than George Kai & idolized Kai. Kai was headed for Columbia U law
[where 442’s Masato Doi went] but the Depression wiped out dad John’s monies, & George came back to fight for the common lot. George’s 2 older brothers went to Yale & Yale law [Ernie 1905-1990]. Ernie was to Hawai’i
60 yrs. ago what President Obama is to America today “ a symbolic beacon of hope/spiritual nourishment. Which is why glory snatcher Jack Burns stole Dept. of Interior’s signature page appointing Ernie as 1951 Governor & replaced it w/Oren Long’s name, because Ernie refused to accede to Burns’ ultimatum to Ernie for Burns to dictate all patronage appointments. Yes, Burns was Stalin [Purges]. Anyway, Pa-ke cannot stand fellow Pa-ke, Pa-ke being individualist & not
team players. So Hawai’i 1st non-haole commercial developer Chinn Ho retains age twin lawyer Ernie Kai for Ho’s legal work, instead of Ho’s classmate/age
twin Hiram Fong. Ernie, being 8 yrs. older than Keoki’s grandpa George, is asked by Chinn Ho [whose dad was rice farmer/agent at Ala Wai Canal site today] to have Keoki’s grandpa be Ho’s partner to develop Makaha/Waianae/Makakilo, inasmuch Ho bought the old Waianae Sugar Plantation WWII. Ho got the H2 to connect to Makakilo. Ho, being full Pa-ke, needed drop dead handsome Haw’n George Kai to smooth thru Ho’s developments w/haole oligarchs, inasmuch George’s dad was the godfather of GOPs. But George politely declined Chinn Ho’s offer to partner w/Ho, even though Chinn Ho beseeched Chinn Ho’s confidant/lawyer Ernie Kai to co-opt George. So Chinn Ho partnered w/Kohala native KJ Luke [genesis Hawai’i National Bank] to develop O’ahu west coast. Of course, Ernie Kai’s age twin Ruddy Tonng of Kukuihaele become Hawai’i 1st non-haole residential developer, ergo Salt Lake/central O’ahu, along w/Rev. Hung Wai Ching 1905-2002, also Ernie’s age twin, Ching being our greatest wayfinder [genesis of 100th Batt./442nd RCT–Statehood godfather–Truman’s race-buster military integration 1948–Earl Warren’s alter ego Brown vs. Bd. of Education 1954–Chou En Lai’s warm relations w/Nixon-U.S.–Japan’s post-WWII prosperity–etc.]. Ching’s baby brother was Hung Wo 1912-1996, braggart unlike Hung Wai, Hung Wo being mega-developer like
antecedents Chinn Ho/Ruddy Tong/older brother Rev. Hung Wai. Hung Wai/Hung Wo & mogul Chinese used lawyer Ernie Kai [considered Haw’n icon, not Pa-ke icon]
for their legal work, not Hung Wai’s classmate Hiramm Fong. Pa-ke no trust fellow Pa-ke. The Chings [incl. distant cuz Clarence] also used cogent scholar Mas Marumoto. Youngster George Kai was in the thick of Palaka Power 65 yrs. ago, but unlike pompous asses Duke Aiona/Dan Inouye today, George Kai stayed true to his roots to fight & die for the common lot. George was Chou En Lai, and Duke Aiona is Nikita Khrushchev”Ã¢â‚¬Å“

The difference between the Soviet Union and China is that I rose to power from the peasant class, whereas you came from the privileged Mandarin class.
Zhou: True. But there is this similarity. Each of us is a traitor to his class.

Peter’s dad was all about homily/Grecian hamartia [the human condition]. Certainly Peter is not like his dad. Thanks.

Curtis,

Peter Higuchi’s dad is Rev. Hiro Higuchi who was great friends with your dad Toshi. Peter was my classmate at Punahou and graduated from Yale in engineering. He served as a consultant to USARPAC by developing “gaming” exercises on the computer (defense scenarios). Peter is a member of Mensa (organization for high IQ people).

When Peter sees Curtis’ essays, he finds them too complex to understand. I find this highly amusing!! Peter can concoct a formula to predict the swings in the market for stock market “derivatives” to make lots of money almost daily. However, his eyes start to roll when he reads “classic Grecian theatre of hero/martyr Ed Case”¦”¦”¦ backdropped by fallen angel Jim Weatherford’s delusion of grandeur”¦.” Ha!~

Okay, just as predicted, 29% of Mufi’s 90,000 voters give us 26,000 voters for Abercrombie. Abercrombie loses another

Like or Dislike: 00

Curtis Narimatsu

Hyperbolic discounting “Ã¢â‚¬Å“ the tendency for people to have a stronger preference for more immediate payoffs relative to later payoffs, where the tendency increases the closer to the present both payoffs are.

Illusion of control “Ã¢â‚¬Å“ the tendency to overestimate one’s degree of influence over other external events.

Impact bias “Ã¢â‚¬Å“ the tendency to overestimate the length or the intensity of the impact of future feeling states.

Information bias “Ã¢â‚¬Å“ the tendency to seek information even when it cannot affect action.

Interloper effect “Ã¢â‚¬Å“ the tendency to value third party consultation as objective, confirming, and without motive. Also consultation paradox, the conclusion that solutions proposed by existing personnel within an organization are less likely to receive support than from those recruited for that purpose.

Irrational escalation “Ã¢â‚¬Å“ the phenomenon where people justify increased investment in a decision, based on the cumulative prior investment, despite new evidence suggesting that the decision was probably wrong.

Loss aversion “Ã¢â‚¬Å“ “the disutility of giving up an object is greater than the utility associated with acquiring it”.

Mere exposure effect “Ã¢â‚¬Å“ the tendency to express undue liking for things merely because of familiarity with them.

Money illusion “Ã¢â‚¬Å“ the tendency to concentrate on the nominal (face value) of money rather than its value in terms of purchasing power.

Moral credential effect “Ã¢â‚¬Å“ the tendency of a track record of non-prejudice to increase subsequent prejudice.

Negativity bias “Ã¢â‚¬Å“ the tendency to pay more attention and give more weight to negative than positive experiences or other kinds of information.

Neglect of probability “Ã¢â‚¬Å“ the tendency to completely disregard probability when making a decision under uncertainty.

Normalcy bias “Ã¢â‚¬Å“ the refusal to plan for, or react to, a disaster which has never happened before.

Omission bias “Ã¢â‚¬Å“ the tendency to judge harmful actions as worse, or less moral, than equally harmful omissions (inactions).

Outcome bias “Ã¢â‚¬Å“ the tendency to judge a decision by its eventual outcome instead of based on the quality of the decision at the time it was made.

By providing information about voting intentions, opinion polls can sometimes influence the behavior of electors, and in his book The Broken Compass, Peter Hitchens asserts that opinion polls are actually a device for influencing public opinion. The various theories about how this happens can be split into two groups: bandwagon/underdog effects, and strategic (“tactical”) voting.

A bandwagon effect occurs when the poll prompts voters to back the candidate shown to be winning in the poll. The idea that voters are susceptible to such effects is old, stemming at least from 1884; William Safire reported that the term was first used in a political cartoon in the magazine Puck in that year. It has also remained persistent in spite of a lack of empirical corroboration until the late 20th century. George Gallup spent much effort in vain trying to discredit this theory in his time by presenting empirical research. A recent meta-study of scientific research on this topic indicates that from the 1980s onward the Bandwagon effect is found more often by researchers.

The opposite of the bandwagon effect is the underdog effect. It is often mentioned in the media. This occurs when people vote, out of sympathy, for the party perceived to be “losing” the elections. There is less empirical evidence for the existence of this effect than there is for the existence of the bandwagon effect.

The second category of theories on how polls directly affect voting is called strategic or tactical voting. This theory is based on the idea that voters view the act of voting as a means of selecting a government. Thus they will sometimes not choose the candidate they prefer on ground of ideology or sympathy, but another, less-preferred, candidate from strategic considerations. An example can be found in the United Kingdom general election, 1997. As he was then a Cabinet Minister, Michael Portillo’s constituency of Enfield Southgate was believed to be a safe seat but opinion polls showed the Labour candidate Stephen Twigg steadily gaining support, which may have prompted undecided voters or supporters of other parties to support Twigg in order to remove Portillo. Another example is the boomerang effect where the likely supporters of the candidate shown to be winning feel that chances of losing are slim [overconfidence] and that their vote is not required, thus allowing another candidate to win.

These effects indicate how opinion polls can directly affect political choices of the electorate. But directly or indirectly, other effects can be surveyed and analyzed on all political parties. The form of media framing and party ideology shifts must also be taken under consideration. Opinion polling in some instances is a measure of cognitive bias, which is variably considered and handled appropriately in its various applications.

A cognitive bias is the human tendency to make systematic errors in certain circumstances based on cognitive factors rather than evidence. Such biases can result from information-processing shortcuts called heuristics. They include errors in statistical judgment, social attribution, and memory. Cognitive biases are a common outcome of human thought, and often drastically skew the reliability of anecdotal and legal evidence. It is a phenomenon studied in cognitive science and social psychology.

A margin of error is intrinsic in any subset polling method, and is a mathematical function of the difference in size between the subset and the larger population; sampling error is constant across different poll methods with the same sample sizes. Selection bias, nonresponse bias, or coverage bias occurs when the conditions for subset polling significantly differ from the conditions for the larger poll or election; event-based straw polls, where registration often closely mirrors voter registration, suffer less from nonresponse bias than opinion polls, where inclusion generally means owning a landline phone, being the party that answers the phone, being willing to answer the poll questions, and being a “likely voter” based on pollster criteria. Response bias occurs when respondents do not indicate their true beliefs, such as in bias due to intentional manipulation by respondents, haste, social pressure, or confusion; such biases may be present in any polling situation. Wording of questions may also inject bias, although this is more likely in a telephone setting than in an event-based ballot setting.

Gotta’ laugh at philosophy of “eternal return”
[recurring universe]. At least in politics, it’s true “ Yokoyama born 1926 laments about Scrub Tanaka
1915-2006 boasting of Scrub’s “ohana system” field hands campaign system, that Scrub could produce an army of supporters in a blink. Yet Yokoyama is coveted by solons for the same reason, and at least in public Yokoyama acts the part of Marlon Brando in the Godfather movie. Which is why Yokoyama’s “stage” persona puts fear in Boston Blackie Earl Nakasato born 1942, that Yokoyama is the capo dei capi [boss of all bosses]. I gotta’ laugh, what a joke! And I remember Scrub lamenting about Dr. Ernest Mitsuo Kuwahara 1899-1983, buddahead 2nd generation genesis Democrat, & how classy gentleman Kuwahara’s alter ego/mentor Kanaka Johnny Wilson 1871-1956 always bragged about Kuwahara’s great organizational passion, until Kuwahara unjustly was interned WWII, American citizen locked up for 4 yrs. just because he greeted visiting Japan dignitaries pre-WWII on their way to see Kilauea volcano. And yet, Scrub turned out even a bigger blowhard for power/influence than Kanaka Johnny! Kuwahara never bragged. Scrub started the new Democratic Party post-WWII under the auspices of Scrub’s oyabun/
godfather Jack Burns 1909-1975. And even Kanaka Johnny, the 1st ever Democrat in the Hawaiian Islands, talked about earlier blowhards from the late 1800s who boasted about their own feats/grassroot support systems. Yes, recurring universe we see.
Kanaka Johnny also was Burns’ mentor.

Inouye/Akaka [token/Inouye’s proxy] both born 1924
committed the most egregious cardinal sin of not grooming successors, the singular mantra of their leader, the indomitable Jack Burns 1909-1975, who groomed both men. So gratuitously, lolos Inouye/
Akaka have been granted reprieves because a newly
constituted U.S. Senate will start from scratch in
seniority, giving prospective appointees [when Inouye/
Akaka croak, which is soon] Case/Hanabusa [if she
beats Djou, which is unlikely] parity in the chain of command on Capitol Hill, or if Aiona is elected [as Abercrombie brainchild George Yokoyama born 1926 fears], giving appointee Lingle parity re chain of
command. These prospective appointees need it/parity, being old farts nearing 60 yrs. old.

From Rob Tucker on checks/balances between executive/
legislative branches of government “Ã¢â‚¬Å“

Comment:I have to admit that I was rather taken aback when the Rerereorg resulted in two of our least experienced council members were given chairmanship of two of our most important committees “Ã¢â‚¬Å“ Dennis Onishi on Finance and Guy Enriques on Public Works.

At a time of extreme financial distress two key areas of the council were chaired by our two least experienced council members. It simply didn’t make sense except perhaps as an example of Guy Enriques style of “team building”.

The current budget was approved with the Finance Committee offering no suggestions on the proposed budget. Hard for me to imagine no suggestions unless one of two things occurred: 1) The was an inability to understand the budget and lost in confusion Dennis Onishi couldn’t develop any thoughts on the topic. or 2) The whole thing was set up to simply rubber stamp Mayor Kenoi’s proposed budget “Ã¢â‚¬Å“ which is what in fact happened.

Serious and questionable spending of taxpayers money has occurred. You merely need to read the Legislative Auditor’s Reports. Publicly approved funding “Ã¢â‚¬Å“ like the 2% Land Preservation Fund were gutted while hundreds of unfilled county positions retained funding. It was all a little whacky.

While the Mayor made points about everyone having to sacrifice there were at least two groups who made zero sacrifice. One group was the county council and the other larger and more expensive group was the largely out of sight contractors, consultants and vendors who seem to overcharge without restraint.

So I have to say that the rerereorg was a massive failure, that Enriques’ Team Building techniques maybe work better on a volleyball court than on council and that the public has been very poorly served. For me the vote counts in the primary lend credence to my opinion.

It is nice I guess that Guy has gained some appreciation of the press in his hopes for reelection. It would be nicer still if he could point out some lessons learned that were valuable to we taxpayers and voters. Did I miss something?

Do you know that our 1st Hawai’i Island Democrat was OT Shipman 1857-1942, of Shipman Ranch fame, council member like Enriques from Ka’u district at the inception of our County government over a century ago? Unlike Enriques, OT, despite his family’s wealth/holdings, always was for the common lot, and, like OT’s peer/incomparable Democrat William Jennings Bryant 1860-1925, OT affectionately was known as our Great Commoner, just as OT’s nephew Herb Shipman 1892-1976 [never married, no kids, but treated everyone as ohana] was our later Great Commoner. Thence Herb’s loving moniker Papa Herbert. Actually, I took a page right out of Papa Herb’s playbook, Papa Herb
being the quintessential dry wit humorist, in countering Dr. Weatherford’s supporters on trading votes. Papa Herb lifts word for word his opponent’s speech, so that his foe cannot attack his foe’s own speech (!), and then Papa Herb deftly/subtly concludes the opposite of what his foe just said, based on his foe’s own reasoning! To show Papa Herb as our Renaissance Man, Papa Herb saved our Nene goose from extinction & was a great arborist/orchid man, among many other wondrous qualities. Most important for our kanaks, thank Papa Herb for honoring his Haw’n mama’s admonition that Ola’a is a sacred name [for area west of Mt. View/Glenwood] where treasured bird feathers were plucked, among other things, and that naming Kea’au as Ola’a is
sacriligeous, which is why malihini know us today as Kea’au folks, not Ola’a gang. Today’s Bill Walter/Tom
English gang, though all part-Haw’n blood, & starting from Tom’s uncle Roy Blackshear Jr. after Papa Herb died [Roy is Herb’s nephew], opposite of Papa Herb.
Sad thing is that Bill’s & Tom’s parents were the sweetest angels this side of Paradise. Especially Bill, having lived on the Mainland for so long, forfot his humblest roots [the Walter ohana is terrific], & comes to Kea’au acting like a Stateside
suburban paranoid meta-mogul/baron. Sheez”¦ Papa Herb would be chafed/utterly saddend by such haole superiority attitude.

John Reinecke 1904-1982 & dearest wife Aiko Tokimasa Reinecke 1907-1998 were leaders of Hawai’i labor history, just as was Koji Ariyoshi 1914-1976. I remember seeing the Reineckes board Da Bus during mayor Fasi’s tenure, inconspicuous/incognito as could be, just as Koji was in his flower shop. Of course, John was a linguist at UH-Manoa, & Aiko was a product of Lloyd Killam’s YMCA outreach 1912-1924, at which time Killam 1885-1981 recruit John Young 1902-1990 took over. These are all larger than life heroes, yet you’d never know who they were even if they were standing right in front of you!

When Federal officials in World War II refused to seat on the local labor board Jack Kawano, an official with the longshoremen’s union who was of Japanese descent, Mr. Rutledge acted. He calmly informed them that his union controlled most of the territory’s transportation, and said, “If you don’t seat Jack, you don’t seat me.” Mr. Kawano was placed on the board.

Did you know that the Tuskegee Airmen flew at both Cassino and Anzio at the same time that the 100th/442nd were engaged in these battles? The Tuskegee Airmen were also awarded the Congressional Gold Medal. Regards, KL

In English-speaking cultures, envy is often associated with the color green, as in “green with envy.” The phrase “green-eyed monster” refers to an individual whose current actions appear motivated by envy. This is based on a line from Shakespeare’s Othello. Shakespeare mentions it also in The Merchant of Venice when Portia states: “How all the other passions fleet to air, as doubtful thoughts and rash embraced despair and shuddering fear and green-eyed jealousy!” Envy is known as one of the most powerful human emotions for its ability to control one as if envy was an entity in itself. Countless men and women have fallen prey to brief periods of intense envy followed by anger which then translates into aggression. One of the most common examples is a pair of lovers in which a secret love is discovered and can lead to sorrow, then intense envy, and eventually anger and aggression. Spite and injury/damage are directed toward the envied person/object.

______________________________________________________

On the other hand, heroic failure a la Obama-thology
describes a person or group failing to accomplish their goal, but somehow gaining the metaphysical upper hand or becoming ennobled in the attempt.
You see President Obama fighting off his endless war military commanders over withdrawal from Afghanistan. President Obama is outnumbered by his medal poppers’ gang of 5 [incl. Hillary & Gates], but singularly, he presses onward, albeit in fumbling fashion. President Obama envies the indestructible/
unconquerable statesmanship of FDR/Nixon/Reagan, and fathoms authority as guts/instincts, not brainpower per se, albeit failingly vs. his gang of 5, and finally resolves to himself that his kindness for all living things, a la Eastern ahimsa/Zoroaster’s “asa,”
creates singular solitary leadership/command emboldenment for him to override and bypass his war profiteers/brass poppers, albeit painfully slowly.

The Battle of Lake Borgne is considered by many Americans to be a heroic failure. The Americans, vastly outnumbered, fought a large British assault on their five gunboats, ultimately failing to achieve their objective but not before inflicting considerable damage on the British vessels and crews. U.S. commander Thomas ap Catesby Jones was later decorated for his bravery during the defense of his squadron.

Thomas ap Catesby Jones began his naval career during the War of 1812, receiving honors for bravery at the Battle of Lake Borgne, Louisiana, delaying the British before the Battle of New Orleans. Ap is Welsh for Thomas, son of Catesby Jones.

In 1826, Jones signed a treaty with King Kamehameha III of the Kingdom of Hawaii. Hearing that British Captain Lord George Paulet had seized the Kingdom of Hawaii, he sailed there and arrived July 22, 1843. The king was restored July 31, and Jones tried to hasten peace by hosting all parties to dinner aboard his ship.

In 1843, Jones returned a young deserter, Herman Melville, from the Sandwich Islands to the United States. Later, Melville modeled “Commodore J” in Moby-Dick and the commodore in White-Jacket after Jones. As Jones had a ship severely damaged in an attack by a whale in 1827, Moby-Dick may have been partially inspired by stories told of Jones.

______________________________________________________

A most famous case in Classical Antiquity of heroic failure is King Leonidas of Sparta in the battle of Thermopylae, where Leonidas and his men were defeated and killed, but still remain an enduring model of heroism.

Some heroic failures are reckoned to have acted as a catalyst for a bigger war, in which the losers’ aims were finally achieved. Such were for example John Brown’s raid on Harpers Ferry, which helped to spark off the US Civil War, ending with the abolition of slavery which was Brown’s aim. A similar role in Irish history is given to the Easter Rebellion, which itself failed but helped touch off the eventually successful Irish War of Independence.

The fierce defence of the 1849 Roman Republic by Mazzini and Garibaldi was militarily hopeless but created a heroic myth which eventually facilitated the successful Unification of Italy, eleven years later.

The battle of Alamo which was lost by Texas forces became the focus of a heroic myth in American history. A similar role was given to the battle of Tel Hai in Zionist-Israeli myth.

The Jewish rebels who embarked on the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising did not expect a victory over the manifestly overwhelming Nazi forces, but rather aimed from the start at a Heroic failure.

The film Casablanca mentions two heroic failures to develop the Humphrey Bogart character Rick Blaine.

Captain Louis Renault: Oh, laugh if you will, but I happen to know your record. Let me point out just two items. In 1935 you ran guns to Ethiopia. In 1936, you fought in Spain on the Loyalist side.[1]

The first reference is to the Second Italo-Abyssinian War. In September 1935 Italy invaded Ethiopia. Ethiopia lost, but opponents of colonialism and fascism supported their cause. The second reference describes the Spanish Civil War in which rebels led by Francisco Franco gained control of the country. “The Loyalist side” refers to supporters of the losing republic. Thus Rick has fought for the causes of freedom and democracy and earned an admirable (although losing) record.

Similarly, while the Nationalist Chinese lost Shanghai (and many of their best troops) to the Japanese in the Battle of Shanghai, the heroic stand by the Chinese showed the world (and the rest of China) that Chiang-Kai-shek’s government was making a strong stand against Imperial Japan. Despite being a serious defeat, the Battle of Shanghai was a high mark for Chinese nationalism.

Though the Confederate forces of Robert E. Lee lost the Civil War, much of the Southern United States still widely regards Lee as an icon of Southern heroism and gallantry. The Lost Cause school of Civil War historiography portrays the Confederacy as heroic and yet doomed to defeat due to the superior resources of the Union.

President Obama’s cardinal sins of pride in his cult of his own intellect [a la Mufi’s pride in Mufi’s Harvardization, vs. UH alumnus Abercrombie — Mufi killed his own rank/file because UH is a dream come true education for us all in Hawai’i], and President
Obama’s vainglory in craving for others to recognize the cult of his intellect [per his sordidly sad narrative of brains solve everything], create for him the useless Obama-esque artificial compromise between VP Joe Biden’s light-footprint strategy and the heavy one the military medal poppers proffer. Meanwhile, our Conservative Right views Obama as a weak president at odds with the military and uncomfortable with the use of force as indicated. So, burdening himself w/futile pride & vainglory, President Obama creates more war by trying to end war, saddens Woodward by pandering to Woodward, and so results in more unnecessary killings/lives lost & ruined. Totally opposite from his objectives. Grecian hamartia fulfills itself. Nonetheless, such well-
intentioned heroic failure on President Obama’s part still gathers our sympathy & support. Greek tragedy has remained an important site of cultural experimentation, negotiation, struggle, and change. A long line of philosophers “which includes Plato & Aristotle, along with contemporary Sempai Kondo, addressed from time immemorial the vexatious qualities of mercy, negotiation, and grace.
Sempai Kondo’s definition of Grecian tragedy can include a change of fortune from bad to good as in the Eumenides, but Sempai iterates that the change from good to bad as in Oedipus Rex is preferable because this arouses deep pity and fear within the spectators. Tragedy results in a catharsis [emotional cleansing] or healing for the audience through the experience/absorption of these emotions/
energy in response to the suffering of the characters in the drama. Such cleansing/purification/vicarious
embodiment of tragedy hopefully avert recurrence of such tragedy in the future.

In almost every list Pride (Latin, superbia), or hubris, is considered the original and most serious of the seven deadly sins, and indeed the ultimate source from which the others arise. It is identified as a desire to be more important or attractive than others, failing to acknowledge the good work of others, and excessive love of self (especially holding self out of proper position toward God). Dante’s definition was “love of self perverted to hatred and contempt for one’s neighbour.” In Jacob Bidermann’s medieval miracle play, Cenodoxus, pride is the deadliest of all the sins and leads directly to the damnation of the titulary famed Parisian doctor. In perhaps the best-known example, the story of Lucifer, pride (his desire to compete with God) was what caused his fall from Heaven, and his resultant transformation into Satan. In Dante’s Divine Comedy, the penitents were forced to walk with stone slabs bearing down on their backs to induce feelings of humility.

Vainglory

Vainglory (Latin, vanagloria) is unjustified boasting. Pope Gregory viewed it as a form of pride, so he folded vainglory into pride for his listing of sins.

The Latin term gloria roughly means boasting, although its English cognate “Ã¢â‚¬Å“ glory “Ã¢â‚¬Å“ has come to have an exclusively positive meaning; historically, vain roughly meant futile, but by the 14th century had come to have the strong narcissistic undertones, of irrelevant accuracy, that it retains today. As a result of these semantic changes, vainglory has become a rarely used word in itself, and is now commonly interpreted as referring to vanity (in its modern narcissistic sense).

Dr. Terry D. Cooper (2003) conceptualizes excessive pride, along with low self-esteem, as an important paradigm in describing the human condition. He examines the humanistic psychology idea that if pride emerges, it is always a false front designed to protect an undervalued self. He considers that the work of certain neo-Freudian psychoanalysts, namely Karen Horney, offer promise in dealing with what he calls a “deadlock between the overvalued and undervalued self.” He refers to their work in describing the connection between religious and psychological pride as well as sin to describe how a neurotic pride system underlies an appearance of self-contempt and low self-esteem:

The “idealized self,” the “tyranny of the should,” the “pride system” and the nature of self-hate all point toward the intertwined relationship between neurotic pride and self-contempt. understanding how a neurotic pride system underlies an appearance of self-contempt and low self-esteem. (Cooper, 112-13)

Hubris and Group Pride

Hubris itself is associated with more intra-individual negative outcomes and is commonly related to expressions of aggression and hostility (Tangney, 1999). As one might expect, Hubris is not associated with high self-esteem but with highly fluctuating or variable self-esteem. Excessive feelings of hubris have a tendency to create conflict and sometimes terminate close relationships, which has led it to be understood as one of the few emotions without any clear positive or adaptive functions. Several studies by UC Davis psychologist Cynthia Picket, have shown that groups that boast, gloat, or denigrate others tend to have low social status or be vulnerable to threats from other groups. Claiming that “hubristic, pompous displays of group pride might actually be a sign of group insecurity as opposed to a sign of strength,” she believes that those that express pride by humbly focusing on members’ efforts and hard work tend to have high social standing. Her studies show that groups in which individuals boasted and gloated tend to have low social status and are more vulnerable to threats from other groups. In contrast, those groups that expressed pride by humbly focusing on members’ efforts and hard work tended to have high social standing in both the public and personal eyes.

Asian pride

Asian pride was originally fragmented, as Asian nations have had long conflicts with each other, examples are the old Japanese and Chinese religious beliefs of their individual superiority. Asian pride emerged prominently during European colonialism. At one time, Europeans controlled 85% of the world’s land through colonialism, resulting in anti-Western feelings among Asian nations. Today, some Asians still look upon European involvement in their affairs with suspicion. In contrast, Asian empires are prominent and are proudly remembered by adherents to Asian Pride. An example is the Mongol Empire, which was the largest contiguous empire in history, occupying most of Asia and reaching as far as Europe. Another empire is Imperial Japan, the symbols of which are widespread in modern culture, especially the Rising Sun Flag, one of the main symbols of Japanese pride.

Vanity

In many religions, vanity is considered a form of self-idolatry, in which one rejects God for the sake of one’s own image, and thereby becomes divorced from the graces of God. The stories of Lucifer and Narcissus (who gave us the term narcissism), and others, attend to a pernicious aspect of vanity. In Western art, vanity was often symbolized by a peacock, and in Biblical terms, by the Whore of Babylon. In secular allegory, vanity was considered one of the minor vices. During the Renaissance, vanity was invariably represented as a naked woman, sometimes seated or reclining on a couch. She attends to her hair with comb and mirror. The mirror is sometimes held by a demon or a putto. Other symbols of vanity include jewels, gold coins, a purse, and often by the figure of death himself.

Often we find an inscription on a scroll that reads Omnia Vanitas (“All is Vanity”), a quote from the Latin translation of the Book of Ecclesiastes. Although that phrase, itself depicted in a type of still life, vanitas, originally referred not to obsession with one’s appearance, but to the ultimate fruitlessness of man’s efforts in this world.

In his table of the Seven Deadly Sins, Hieronymus Bosch depicts a bourgeois woman admiring herself in a mirror held up by a devil. Behind her is an open jewelry box. All is Vanity, by Charles Allan Gilbert (1873″Ã¢â‚¬Å“1929), carries on this theme. An optical illusion, the painting depicts what appears to be a large grinning skull. Upon closer examination, it reveals itself to be a young woman gazing at her reflection in the mirror. Such artistic works served to warn viewers of the ephemeral nature of youthful beauty, as well as the brevity of human life and the inevitability of death.

Egotism is the motivation to maintain and enhance favorable views of oneself. Egotism means placing oneself at the center of one’s world with no direct concern for others, including those loved or considered as “close,” in any other terms by the “egoist.”

It is closely related to narcissism, or “loving one’s self,” and the possible tendency to speak or write of oneself boastfully and at great length. Egotism may coexist with delusions of one’s own importance, even at the denial of others. This conceit is a character trait describing a person who acts to gain values in an amount excessively greater than that which he/she gives to others. Egotism is often accomplished by exploiting the altruism, irrationality and ignorance of others, as well as utilizing coercive force and/or fraud.

Egotism differs from both altruism, or acting to gain fewer values than are being given, and egoism, the belief that gaining more values than given is permissible.

Perhaps one of the most vivid examples of hubris in ancient Greek literature is demonstrated by Achilles and his treatment of Hector’s corpse in Homer’s Iliad. Achilles killed Hector in revenge. Not only did he kill him, but he stripped Hector’s corpse and dragged it around behind his chariot, threading leather thongs through Hector’s ankles. Although the Greek forces were appalled by his treatment of this other hero’s corpse, he was unrelenting. Priam, king of Troy, had to come and kneel at Achilles’s feet and offer him Hector’s weight in gold before he could convince him to give up the body. Once the body was gone, Achilles had time to ponder the fact that it was prophesied his own death would come soon after Hector’s.[citation needed] Similarly, Creon commits hubris in refusing to bury Polynices in Sophocles’ Antigone. Another example is in the tragedy Agamemnon, by Aeschylus. Agamemnon initially rejects the hubris of walking on the fine purple tapestry, an act suggested by Clytemnestra, in hopes of bringing his ruin. This act may be seen as a desecration of a divinely woven tapestry, as a general flouting of the strictures imposed by the gods, or simply as an act of extreme pride and lack of humility before the gods, tempting them to retribution. One other example is that of Oedipus. In Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex, while on the road to Thebes, Oedipus meets King Laius of Thebes who is unknown to him as his biological father. Oedipus kills King Laius in a dispute over which of them has the right of way, thereby fulfilling the prophecy that Oedipus is destined to murder his own father. Icarus, flying too close to the sun despite warning, has been interpreted by ancient authors as hubris, leading to swift retribution. In Odyssey, the behaviour of Penelope’s suitors is called hubris by Homer, possibly still in a broader meaning than was later applied. The blinding and mocking of Polyphemos called down the nemesis of Poseidon upon Odysseus; Poseidon already bore Odysseus a grudge for not giving him a sacrifice when Poseidon prevented the Greeks from being discovered inside the Trojan Horse. Specifically, Odysseus’ telling Polyphemos his true name after having already escaped was an act of hubris.

The Battle of Salamis in 480 BC in the Greco-Persian Wars, in which the hubris of Xerxes I led to the defeat of the Persian Empire by the Greeks.

In 1415, the Battle of Agincourt, the English were grossly outnumbered by 5 to 1, but the arrogance and disorganization of French knights, as well as superb quality longbows, were the underlying circumstances which led to the English overcoming the odds and annihilated the French.

The overconfidence and lack of preparation led to the disastrous defeat of the English, lead by Edward II at the Battle of Bannockburn to the Scots, lead by Robert the Bruce.

Spanish naval assault on England in 1588 suffered the defeat of the “unsinkable” Spanish Armada. Similarly, British overconfidence led to the disasters of the English Armada and the Battle of Cartagena de Indias.

The decision of Napoleon to invade Russia in 1812. A force of between 580,000 and 690,000 French soldiers invaded, of which about 40,000 returned.

United States victories in the Mexican”Ã¢â‚¬Å“American War and the Indian Wars made Union forces over-confident going into the American Civil War, losing their first battle “ they expected a quick victory. The
Confederates similarly stereotyped the Union, at times leading to military disaster.

Confederate decisions made at and before their loss at the Battle of Gettysburg, after their outnumbered-five-to-two victory at the Battle of Chancellorsville during the Civil War.

The 1876 Battle of the Little Bighorn, in which the Sioux nearly annihilated the entire 7th Cavalry of Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer. Expecting a repeat of the Battle of Washita River, Custer ignored contrary intelligence or did not seek it out.

The 1879 Battle of Isandlwana in which Zulu warriors equipped mainly with spears and shields annihilated a mixed British and native force armed with modern firearms and artillery.

Followed by the subsequent defeat of a large Zulu force against a much smaller British contingent at the Battle of Rorke’s Drift.

The catastrophic decision of Hitler to invade the Soviet Union in 1941, underestimating Soviet military resilience, counting on success of old tactics, confident of quick victory and not counting on getting caught in a Russian winter or rasputitsa (mud season).

Japan’s decision to attack Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. This followed wins in the First Sino-Japanese War the Russo-Japanese War, the First World War and early victories during the Second Sino-Japanese War.

When the narcissist’s grandiose sense of self-worth is perceivably being attacked by another person (typically in the form of criticism), the narcissist’s natural reaction is to rage and pull down the self-worth of others (to make the narcissist feel superior to them). It is an attempt by the narcissist to soothe their internal pain and hostility, while at the same time rebuilding their own self-worth. Narcissistic rage should not be confused with anger (although the two are similar), and is not necessarily caused by a situation that would typically provoke anger in an individual.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, individuals who score low in neuroticism are more emotionally stable and less reactive to stress. They tend to be calm, even tempered, and less likely to feel tense or rattled. Although they are low in negative emotion, they are not necessarily high on positive emotion. Positive emotion is an element of the independent trait of extroversion.

Introverts, in contrast, tend to be more reserved, less outgoing, and less sociable. They are not necessarily loners, but they tend to have smaller circles of friends. Introversion does not describe social discomfort but rather social preference. An introvert may not be shy at all but may merely prefer non social or less social activities.

Le’a cogently says that no matter what universe we operate under, cyclical/linear or otherwise [zillions of parallel universes], we still trap ourselves into our own destructive prideful narrative, ergo India’s caste system per karma samsara, or Christian Exceptionalism of the superior Nordic race over monkey races [everyone else]. Le’a believes in reincarnation, not as a hegemony to imprison our caste [as in India], but as a Nietzsche-an fulfillment of our positive potential to be of service to others & obtain self-mastery. Not Eliade-an spiritualism, but still greater than the sum of its parts, so to speak “ these ritual cycles do more than give humans a sense of value. Because traditional man identifies reality with the Sacred, he believes that the world can endure only if it remains in sacred time. He periodically revives sacred time through myths and rituals in order to keep the universe in existence. In many cultures, this belief appears to be consciously held and clearly stated. These are Eliade-an theology. But Amor fati is a Latin phrase coined by Nietzsche loosely translating to “love of fate” or “love of one’s fate.” It is used to describe an attitude in which one sees everything that happens in one’s life, including suffering and loss, as good.

Le’a still believes in God the creator of whatever universes exist, so that theology nails our feet to the floor & gives us our stability/purpose for living “ to be of service to others & obtain self-mastery a la Nietzsche/Zoroaster.

According to Michio Kaku born 1947 in San Jose CA. [3rd generation Japanese American –Sansei, but father was Kibei –raised in Japan], technological advances that we take for granted today were declared impossible 150 years ago. William Thomson Kelvin (1824″Ã¢â‚¬Å“1907), a mathematical physicist and creator of the Kelvin scale said publicly that “heavier than air” flying machines were impossible. “He thought X-rays were a hoax, and that radio had no future.” Likewise, Ernest Rutherford (1871″Ã¢â‚¬Å“1937), a physicist who experimentally described the atom, thought the atom bomb was impossible and he compared it to moonshine (a crazy or foolish idea). Televisions, computers, and the internet would seem incredibly fantastic to the people of the turn of the 20th century. Black holes were considered science fiction and even Einstein showed that black holes could not exist. 19th century science had determined that it was impossible for the earth to be billions of years old. Even in the 1920s and 1930s, Robert Goddard was scoffed at because it was believed that rockets would never be able to go into space.

Such advances were considered impossible because the basic laws of physics and science were not understood as well as they are understood today. Kaku states that “as a physicist [he] learned that the impossible is often a relative term.” By this definition of “impossible,” he poses the question “Is it not plausible to think that we might someday build space ships that can travel distances of light years, or think that we might teleport ourselves from one place to the other?”

Types of impossibilities

Each chapter is named by a possible, or improbable, technology of the future. After a look at the development of today’s technology, there is discussion as to how this advanced technology might become a reality. Chapters become somewhat more general towards the end of the book. Some of our present day technologies are explained, and then extrapolated into futuristic applications. In the future, current technologies are still recognizable, but in a slightly altered form. For example, when discussing force fields of the future, Dr. Kaku writes about cutting edge laser technology, and newly developed plasma windows. These are two of several technologies, which he sees as required for creating a force field. To create a force field these would be combined in a slightly altered form, such as more precise or more powerful. Furthermore, this discussion on force fields, as well as on the pantheon of highly advanced technologies, remains as true to the original concepts (as in how the public generally imagines advanced technologies) as possible, while remaining practical. Kaku concludes his book with a short epilogue detailing the newest frontiers in physics and how there is still much more to be learned about physics and our universe.

Kaku writes that since scientists understand the basic laws of physics today they are able to perceive or imagine a basic outline of future technologies that might work. Kaku writes: “Physicists today understand the basic laws [of physics] extending over a staggering forty three orders of magnitude, from the interior of the proton out to the expanding universe.” He goes on to say that physicists can discern between future technologies that are merely improbable and those technologies that are truly impossible. He uses a system of Class I, Class II, and Class III to classify these science-fictional future technologies that are believed to be impossible today.

Class I impossibilities

Class I Impossibilities are “technologies that are impossible today, but that do not violate the known laws of physics.” Kaku speculates that these technologies may become available in some limited form in a century or two.

A future technology that may be seen within a lifetime is a new advanced stealth technology. This is a Class I Impossibility. In 2006, Duke University and Imperial College were able to bend microwaves around an object so that it would appear invisible in the microwave range. The object is like a boulder in a stream. Downstream the water has converged in such a way that there is no evidence of a boulder upstream. Likewise, the microwaves converge in such a way that, to an observer from any direction, there is no evidence of an object. In 2008, two groups, one at Caltech and the other in Germany, were able to bend red light and blue-green of the visible spectrum. This made the object appear invisible in the red and blue green light range. However, this was only at the microscopic level.

Teleportation is a class I impossibility, in that it does not violate the laws of physics, and could possibly exist on the time scale of a century. Today, scientists are able to teleport only information at the atomic level. Information can be teleported from Atom A to Atom B, for example. But this is nothing like beaming Captain Kirk down to a planet and back. In order to do that, a person would have to be dissolved atom by atom then rematerialized at the other end. On the scale of a decade, it will probably be possible to teleport the first molecule, and maybe even a virus.

Class II impossibilities

Class II Impossibilities are “technologies that sit at the very edge of our understanding of the physical world,” possibly taking thousands or millions of years to become available.

Such a technology is time travel. Einstein’s equations do show that time travel is possible. However, this would not be developed for a time scale of centuries or even millennia from now. This would make it a Class II impossibility. The two major physical hurdles are energy and stability. Traveling through time would require the entire energy of a star or black hole. Questions of stability are: will the radiation from such a journey kill you and will the “aperture” remain open so you can get back? According to Dr. Kaku in an interview, “the serious study of the impossible has frequently opened up rich and unexpected domains of science.”

Class III impossibilities

Class III Impossibilities are “technologies that violate the known laws of physics.” Kaku writes about only two of these, perpetual motion machines and precognition. Development of these technologies would represent a fundamental shift in human understanding of physics.

The story concerns a farmer who finds a viper freezing in the snow. He takes pity on it and picks it up and places it within his coat. The viper, revived by the warmth, bites the farmer. The farmer cries out that he should have seen it coming.

It is often quoted to illustrate the purportedly insuppressible nature of one’s self at its base level.

Another version says that the viper is magic, and repays the farmer with a sack of Oboluses each morning. The farmer’s son tries to cut the snake open to get all the coins, but the snake kills him. The farmer mourns over his son, and the snake mutters to him the moral before vanishing forever: Why do you mourn over loss of that which gave none, yet tried to destroy that which gave all.
_______________________________________________________

The Lion and the Mouse is an Aesop’s fable. In the fable, a lion wants to eat a mouse who wakes him up. The mouse begs forgiveness and promises to return the favor if ever he is given the opportunity. He also makes the point that such unworthy prey as he should not stain the lion’s great paws. The lion is moved to uncontrollable laughter and when he recovers, lets the mouse go, stating that he has not had such a good laugh in ages.

Later, the lion is captured by hunters and tied to a tree; the lion roars with all his might so that someone might help him. The mouse hears the lion’s pleas and frees him by gnawing through the ropes. The moral of this story is stated in the last line of the fable:

Little friends may prove great friends.

“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted”

Another Aesop fable with a similar moral lesson concerns a slave who removes a thorn from a lion’s paw, and the lion later comes to the slave’s rescue.

In Buddhism there is the belief of the wheel of time which regards time as cyclical and with repeating ages, as some other cultures such as Mesoamerican (Aztecs, Mayan) and some native American Indians believe. Their idea of time gives a different answer to the question of “who is first” when combined with the concept of eternal return which is well known in the Western culture through the writings of Nietzsche. The assumption is that time is eternally repetitive and therefore, there is no “first” in eternity, there is no creation. The answer then becomes: None is first. There is no “first” in a cyclical view of time.

Theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking warned that humans should not try to contact alien life forms. He warned that aliens might pillage Earth for resources. “If aliens visit us, the outcome would be much as when Columbus landed in America, which didn’t turn out well for the Native Americans,” he said. Geographer Jared Diamond has also expressed similar concerns.

* Evolutionary psychology is discovering the limits to human rationality; biological psychology exposes the material nature of cognition and moral sense with fMRI scans, and economic and political studies find regularities in the behaviors of large groups of humans.
* Francis Crick’s “Astonishing Hypothesis” is that consciousness is simply the function of the brain.
* When the Human Genome Project released its findings in 2003, it was discovered that the human genome only has 24,000 genes. As recently as the 1990s, humans were considered so complex as to have about 300,000 genes.

The phrase also can have negative connotations, as some may perceive the lack of reaction to adversity as complacence, both to social and political forces. In a Business Week article, a Western businessman says of Japanese people:

He encourages Japanese not to succumb to the shikata ga nai mentality but to get angry and start behaving like citizens. “Japanese people listen to me because I’m always pushing what the possibilities are and how things can change”¦ to ensure positive economic and political prospects”¦”

“Amor fait” is used repeatedly in Nietzsche’s writings and is representative of the general outlook on life he articulates in section 276 of The Gay Science, which reads,

I want to learn more and more to see as beautiful what is necessary in things; then I shall be one of those who make things beautiful. Amor fati: let that be my love henceforth! I do not want to wage war against what is ugly. I do not want to accuse; I do not even want to accuse those who accuse. Looking away shall be my only negation. And all in all and on the whole: some day I wish to be only a Yes-sayer.

Quote from “Why I Am So Clever” in Ecce Homo, section 10[1]:

My formula for greatness in a human being is amor fati: that one wants nothing to be different, not forward, not backward, not in all eternity. Not merely bear what is necessary, still less conceal it”all idealism is mendaciousness in the face of what is necessary”but love it.

Existential nihilism is the belief that life has no intrinsic meaning or value. It can stem from scientific analysis showing that only the physical laws contributed to our existence. With respect to the universe, a single human or even the entire human species is insignificant, without purpose and is not likely to change in the totality of existence.

* Grandfather paradox: You travel back in time and kill your grandfather before he conceives one of your parents, which precludes your own conception and, therefore, you couldn’t go back in time and kill your grandfather.
* Ontological paradox: Can a time traveler send himself information with no outside source?
* Predestination paradox: A man travels back in time to discover the cause of a famous fire. While in the building where the fire started, he accidentally knocks over a kerosene lantern and causes a fire, the same fire that would inspire him, years later, to travel back in time. The ontological paradox is closely tied to this, in which as a result of time travel, information or objects appear to have no beginning.
* Temporal paradox: What happens when a time traveler does things in the past that prevent him from doing them in the first place?

Philosophy

* Chicken or the egg: Which came first, the chicken or the egg?

* Paradox of free will: If God knew how we will decide when he created us, how can there be free will?
* Paradox of hedonism: In seeking happiness, one does not find happiness.

* Problem of evil (Epicurean paradox): The existence of evil seems to be incompatible with the existence of an omnipotent, omniscient, and morally perfect God.

The notion of Logotherapy was created with the Greek word logos (“meaning”). Frankl’s concept is based on the premise that the primary motivational force of an individual is to find a meaning in life. The following list of tenets represents basic principles of logotherapy:

* Life has meaning under all circumstances, even the most miserable ones.
* Our main motivation for living is our will to find meaning in life.
* We have freedom to find meaning in what we do, and what we experience, or at least in the stand we take when faced with a situation of unchangeable suffering.

The human spirit is referred to in several of the assumptions of logotherapy, but the use of the term spirit is not “spiritual” or “religious.” In Frankl’s view, the spirit is the will of the human being. The emphasis, therefore, is on the search for meaning, which is not necessarily the search for God or any other supernatural being. Frankl also noted the barriers to humanity’s quest for meaning in life. He warns against “”¦affluence, hedonism, [and] materialism”¦” in the search for meaning.

Discovering meaning

According to Frankl, we can discover meaning in life in three different ways: (1) by doing a deed; (2) by experiencing a value “Ã¢â‚¬Å“ nature, a work of art, another person, i.e., love; (3) by suffering. On the meaning of suffering, Frankl gives the following example:

Once, an elderly general practitioner consulted me because of his severe depression. He could not overcome the loss of his wife who had died two years before and whom he had loved above all else. Now how could I help him? What should I tell him? I refrained from telling him anything, but instead confronted him with a question, “What would have happened, Doctor, if you had died first, and your wife would have had to survive you?:” “Oh,” he said, “for her this would have been terrible; how she would have suffered!” Whereupon I replied, “You see, Doctor, such a suffering has been spared her, and it is you who have spared her this suffering; but now, you have to pay for it by surviving and mourning her.” He said no word but shook my hand and calmly left the office.
“ Viktor Frankl

Frankl emphasized that realizing the value of suffering is meaningful only when the first two creative possibilities are not available (for example, in a concentration camp) and only when such suffering is inevitable “Ã¢â‚¬Å“ he was not proposing that people suffer unnecessarily.

Overcoming anxiety

By recognizing the purpose of our circumstances, one can master anxiety. Anecdotes about this use of logotherapy are given by New York Times writer Tim Sanders, who explained how he uses its concept to relieve the stress of fellow airline travelers by asking them the purpose of their journey. When he does this, no matter how miserable they are, their whole demeanor changes, and they remain happy throughout the flight.

Treatment of neurosis

Frankl cites two neurotic pathogens: hyper-intention, a forced intention toward some end which makes that end unattainable; and hyper-reflection, an excessive attention to oneself which stifles attempts to avoid the neurosis to which one thinks oneself predisposed. Frankl identified anticipatory anxiety, a fear of a given outcome which makes that outcome more likely. To relieve the anticipatory anxiety and treat the resulting neuroses, logotherapy offers paradoxical intention, wherein the patient intends to do the opposite of his hyper-intended goal.

A person, then, who fears (i.e. experiences anticipatory anxiety over) not getting a good night’s sleep may try too hard (that is, hyper-intend) to fall asleep, and this would hinder his ability to do so. A logotherapist would recommend, then, that he go to bed and intentionally try not to fall asleep. This would relieve the anticipatory anxiety which kept him awake in the first place, thus allowing him to fall asleep in an acceptable amount of time.

The Cynical life rejects conventional desires for wealth, power, health, and fame, by being free of the possessions acquired in pursuing the conventional. As reasoning creatures, people could achieve happiness via rigorous training, by living in a way natural to human beings. The world equally belongs to everyone, so suffering is caused by false judgments of what is valuable and what is worthless per the customs and conventions of society.

Contempo existentialism postulates that
one must make his and her own values in an indifferent world. One can live meaningfully (free of despair and anxiety) in an unconditional commitment to something finite, and devotes that meaningful life to the commitment, despite the external vulnerability inherent to doing so.

Cyclical thinking hinges on human nature, not on God’s will [ergo humanity’s defiance of God’s will], & cyclical thinking is like how Socrates said that ignorance is the root of all evil. It follows that, for the Greek philosopher, right understanding will lead to right action. The man who really understands and knows acts rightly. And, of course, behind this assumption stands the belief that man is basically good.

We see in this the foundation of modern thought patterns: the idea that education will produce right behavior and that man, being basically good, only needs to learn and he will behave. So we read such statements as that formulated by Solon: According to the immanent laws of developing reality, according to the law of time, the bad withers and the good flourishes and establishes itself. And as man evolves into a a more conscious and wise being thru recycling of eternal life, peace will reign over war, love over fear.

In all this we see the background of more modern thought, the view that all wrong action of men stems from ignorance, which can be removed by education, and thus avoiding any thought of personal responsibility. Greek tragedy is based on understandable mistakes, not cardinal sins postulated in later Christian texts. Thence the cathartic effect of Grecian vicarious tragedy “ to empathize/learn from the character’s mistakes,
& to prevent them from recurring.

The factor obviously lacking in this philosophy, from the Christian view, is the will, by which man expresses his defiance of God and his Word.

Amor fati is a Latin phrase coined by Nietzsche loosely translating to “love of fate” or “love of one’s fate.” It is used to describe an attitude in which one sees everything that happens in one’s life, including suffering and loss, as good. Thence, Nietzsche posited that the eternal return of all events would mark the ultimate affirmation of life, a reaction to his naysayers’ point of denying the will”Ã¢â‚¬Å“to”Ã¢â‚¬Å“live. To comprehend eternal recurrence in his thought, and not merely to come to peace with it but to embrace it, requires amor fati, “love of fate.”

From sagacious/brilliant Le’a age 55 of Kolekole mauka “Ã¢â‚¬Å“

The Hindu/Buddhist contention that there is reincarnation allows for confronting one’s mistakes, correcting them, and moving on “Ã‹Å“home’ to God. In other words ONE HAS CONTROL OF ONE’S OWN DESTINY, which apparently Jeshuea taught. However, how is Pax Romani cum Roman Catholic Church going to control people “Ã¢â‚¬Å“ and obtain vast sums of money, and finance Crusades “Ã¢â‚¬Å“ if people think that their relationship with God are individual, unique, and changeable? What? No Heaven and Hell? How can people be TERRORIZED into compliance without that?

If one READS the Quran, one will find that the actual text offers remedies to the individual soul, supporting that soul’s unique relationship with God, In the tradition of Pax Romani cum Roman Catholic Church, the Muslim fundamentalists attacking the entire world are following in the footsteps of the Crusades.

Jeremy Harris was our Bill Clinton, superb politician/visionary, but got unglued via Harris’
own pride/greed via campaign finance corruption.
Harris avoids running vs. Cayetano 1998 Democratic
primary, which Harris would’ve won [get rid of
the ole’ boy network, so to speak], and in return
Democrats promise to support Harris for Governor
2002 [Cayetano not eligible to run again 2002].
Inouye tells Lt. Gov. Hirono not to run for Gov.
2002, so Hirono declares to run for Harris’ mayor
seat, on condition that Hirono runs for Gov. after
serving full terms as mayor. But then Hirono runs
into same problem of Harris’ Lt. Gov. wanting to
run for Governor when Harris serves out his full
8 yrs. as Gov. Anyway, all became moot because
Harris imploded via his campaign finance corruption.
So Hirono stepped up to run in Harris’ place for
Governor. Hirono was the 2nd fiddle/bridesmaid
& such image played out against her vs. Lingle.
So Inouye is not a big fan of Hirono because
despite her cooperation to step down in order for
Harris to step up, Inouye had to pull her hair
to get her to step down. Actually, Inouye is
the abuser because what Lt. Gov. in his/her right
mind doesn’t want to be Governor? Hirono was
the 1st Lt. Gov., having served her full 2 terms,
to step down for another [Harris], but for Harris’
ruination over his campaign finance scandal.
And may the O’ahu public/Hirono be reminded that never
has an O’ahu mayor become Governor of this State,
because neighbor islanders fear complete
domination/overrule by O’ahu urbanites, ergo Fasi
autocratic iron fist rule. And Hirono probably had the kiss of death from Inouye by stepping down to be O’ahu mayor [won’t win for Gov. later on]. Inouye
doesn’t care one wee bit “ Inouye is for Inouye,
never mind anyone else.

Which is why no New York City mayor ever became
U.S. President, though mayors Andrew Johnson of Greeneville, Tennessee, Grover Cleveland of Buffalo, New York, & Calvin Coolidge of Northampton, Massachusetts became U.S. President.

Only military Generals Zachary Taylor, Ulysses S. Grant, & Dwight D. Eisenhower became U.S. President
without having served in prior political offices.

Most of our U.S. Presidents served as State Governors
prior to their ascension. Which is why Mufi ran
for Governor, not U.S. House. But big difference
between President Obama & Mufi is that President
Obama established himself in among the 10 global
cities for commerce, Chicago. No way could
Obama become President if Obama merely came from
Hawai’i like Mufi. Hawai’i the most insignificant
State politically.

Despite receiving mixed reviews upon release, 2001: A Space Odyssey is today thought by some critics to be one of the greatest films ever made. It was nominated for four Academy Awards, and received one for visual effects. It also won the Kansas City Film Critics Circle Best Director and Best Film awards of 1968. In 1991, 2001: A Space Odyssey was deemed culturally significant by the United States Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the National Film Registry.

The story deals with themes of human evolution, technology, artificial intelligence, and extraterrestrial life.

Recent historical studies of the Civil Rights Movement have focused on the idyllic portrayal (epitomised in the opening credits) of the Civil War-era South in the film. Professor D J Reynolds wrote that “The white women are elegant, their menfolk noble or at least dashing. And, in the background, the black slaves are mostly dutiful and content, clearly incapable of an independent existence.” Reynolds likened Gone With The Wind to Birth of a Nation (based on The Clansman) and other re-imaginings of the South during the era of segregation, in which white Southerners are portrayed as defending traditional values and the issue of slavery is largely ignored. Hattie McDaniel’s performance (for which she became the first black American to win an Oscar) and Butterfly McQueen’s have been described as stereotypes of a “Ã‹Å“black Mammy’ and a child-like black slave (in the novel, the character of Prissy was twelve years old, but played in the film by an adult). Malcolm X recalled that “when Butterfly McQueen went into her act, I felt like crawling under the rug.”

In 1989, Gone with the Wind was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” In 1998, the American Film Institute ranked it #4 on its “100 Greatest Movies” list.

Rhett Butler’s infamous farewell line to Scarlett O’Hara, “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn,” was voted in a poll by the American Film Institute in 2005 as the most memorable line in cinema history.

Leslie Howard’s association to the screen character he most disliked, the winsome Ashley, later obscured his solid contribution to the British film industry and his fight to break the silence about the Holocaust.

While ousting the incumbent was important in Dr. Weatherford’s candidacy, at no time did he ever indicate that it was the sole or even main reason he was a candidate.

The picture is much, much bigger than that.

Jon Elster calls this mode “adaptive preference formation,” ergo address Dr. Weatherford’s objective of how best to help Puna by manifesting additional reasons or justifications to support his choice not to trade votes with Fremily.

With the Free-Choice Paradigm, electioneering participants like Dr. Weatherford increase their ratings of the item they chose [personal integrity a la Ms. Toni Robert], and lowered their ratings of the rejected item [vote trading w/Fremily]. More recent research has found similar results in four-year-old children and capuchin monkeys.

With the Effort-Justification Paradigm, dissonance is aroused whenever individuals voluntarily engage in an unpleasant activity [being ignored when campaigning] to achieve some desired goal [benefit Puna], such as Dr. Weatherford’s pronouncements on Puna First, not Me First. Dissonance can be reduced by amplifying the desirability of the actual though euphemistic goal [personal integrity a la Ms. Toni Roberts].

Confirmation biases contribute to overconfidence in personal beliefs and can maintain or strengthen beliefs in the face of contrary evidence. Hence they can lead to disastrous decisions, especially in organizational, military, political and social contexts. Undeniably, our good doctor is not Aesop’s fox, but instead the tantalizing grape [highest principles/above reproach].

Social facilitation by cogent Ms. Toni Robert & communicant Thomas further arouse Dr. Weatherford into singular performance on tasks at which he is expert or autonomous, such as personal integrity & highest principles. Complex tasks (or tasks at which one is not suited for), however, are either avoided or often performed in an inferior manner in such situations, such as trading for votes. This effect has been demonstrated in a variety of species.

Plainly, Dr. Weatherford’s ascension into highest principle is his autonomous walk, lauded by erudite Toni Roberts, just as our good doctor chooses not to descend to trade votes with Fremily, an ignominious task which Dr. Weatherford is not suited for.

Carpenter being the egomaniac he is, also still gets the spotlight the way Kim Chee Harry covets continued coverage of Harry’s unsuppressible value [bureaucracy/civil defense consultant].

Carp

Like or Dislike: 00

Curtis Narimatsu

Western eyes ask “why” to everything, since monotheism is about motive/opportunity “ ergo, will/choice, that is, man’s inherent sinful nature, thence his paranoid tendencies. On the other hand, Eastern eyes ask “when” to everything, since the recurring cycle of life for all eternity is about ending misery/pain/suffering, not linear quantification about sin/personal responsibility as w/Western eyes. Islam eyes ask “how” to everything, since Islam is about tempering one’s pride, the root of all evil. How to control one’s pride is Islam’s cardinal task.

Western eyes “ Why are we here? [First Cause
conundrum]

Eastern eyes “ When does suffering end?

Islam eyes “ How do we diminish pride?

Grace is to receive what is unmerited. Mercy is to refrain from what is just [punishment], just as forgiveness is to refrain from what has been atoned for. In Judeo-Christian theology, unquestionably God blesses President Obama w/God’s Grace. President Obama’s concern/sympathy for combat soldiers
demonstrates that God’s quality of mercy is not strained [Merchant of Venice from Sir William], especially as to President Obama. And that President Obama is forgiven for his equivocation over Afghanistan. Grace, mercy, forgiveness, all bestowed to well-intentioned President Obama. President Obama knows where he’s going “ to a Celestial Kingdom “ in the afterlife. His noble intentions [thence the Nobel Peace Prize] are recognized via God’s Grace. He tries to stand down his revolting
junta of military top brass, despite being completely outnumbered by naysayers. This coup by out-of-line medal poppers accentuates his image as our tragic and maligned hero. In God’s eyes, he is pious, though at sufferance in his Situation Room. Nonetheless, he is our tragic hero based on the Christian oracle of overpride [in his power of intellect] & Afghanistan. He suffers fools sadly, he himself a fool of pride, and pride is something which God has no use for. Thence God’s pick of the meekest of the meek to lead humanity, such as Moses/Gideon/ Abraham. There is no mask to wear, for there is nothing beneath it but your soul to bare. A mask seemingly would glare from what are not even there, hubris/pride which society pairs. Nothingness in reality. Ephemeral wisps of illusionary rank/privileged air. Makiki Barack would aspire to Moses/Gideon/Abraham, our feet-planted-in-‘aina Barack of 2 decades before “ before the hubris/false pride creeped in to the President’s Situation Room this day. Ai!

______________________________________________________
A daughter who saves her father “Ã¢â‚¬Å“
no sexism here”Ã¢â‚¬Å“ counter-intuitive “ advocates
ending sexismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokoyo

Word of her heroic deed spread. The emperor’s unknown ailment had also suddenly been lifted. He realized that Tokoyo must have released him from a curse, because of what she did to the statue. He ordered the release of Oribe Shime. The father and daughter happily returned to their home town.

One day, a handsome visiting priest named Anjin fell in love with a beautiful woman named Kiyohime, but after a time he overcame his passions and refrained from further meetings. Kiyo became furious at the sudden change of heart and pursued him in rage. The priest and Kiyohime met at the edge of the Hidaka river, where the priest asked a boatman to help him to cross the river, but told him not to let her cross with his boat. When Kiyo saw that Anjin was escaping her, she jumped into the river and started to swim after him. While swimming in the torrent of the Hidaka river, she transformed into a large serpent because of her rage. When Anjin saw her coming after him in the form of a huge serpent, he ran into the temple called DÃƒâ€¦jÃƒâ€¦ji. He asked the priests of DÃƒâ€¦jÃƒâ€¦ji for help and they hid him under the bell of temple. However, the serpent smelled him hiding inside the bell and started to coil around it. It banged the bell loudly several times with its tail, then gave a great belch of fire that melted the bell, killing the priest.

Once there was a beautiful servant named Okiku. She worked for the samurai Aoyama Tessan. Okiku often refused his amorous advances, so he tricked her into believing that she had carelessly lost one of the family’s ten precious delft [pottery] plates. Such a crime would normally result in her death. In a frenzy, she counted and recounted the nine plates many times. However, she could not find the tenth and went to Aoyama in guilty tears. The samurai offered to overlook the matter if she finally became his lover, but again she refused. Enraged, Aoyama threw her down a well to her death.

It is said that Okiku became a vengeful spirit who tormented her murderer by counting to nine and then making a terrible shriek to represent the missing tenth plate “Ã¢â‚¬Å“ or perhaps she was tormented herself and still trying to find the tenth plate but crying out in agony when she never could. In some versions of the story, this torment continued until an exorcist or neighbor shouted “ten” in a loud voice at the end of her count. Her ghost, finally relieved that someone had found the plate for her, haunted the samurai no more.

Animism (from Latin anima “soul, life”) is a philosophical, religious or spiritual idea that souls or spirits exist not only in humans but also in animals, plants, rocks, natural phenomena such as thunder, geographic features such as mountains or rivers, or other entities of the natural environment. Animism may further attribute souls to abstract concepts such as words, true names or metaphors in mythology. Animism is particularly widely found in the religions of indigenous peoples, although it is also found in Shinto, and some forms of Hinduism, Sikhism, Pantheism and Neopaganism.

Throughout European history, philosophers such as Plato, Aristotle and Thomas Aquinas, among others, contemplated the possibility that souls exist in animals, plants and people, however the currently accepted definition of animism was only developed in the 19th century by Sir Edward Tylor, who created it as “one of anthropology’s earliest concepts, if not the first.”

Whilst having similarities to totemism, animism differs in that it, according to the anthropologist Tim Ingold, focuses on individual spirit beings which help to perpetuate life, whilst totemism more typically holds that there is a primary source, such as the land itself, or the ancestors, who provide the basis to life. Certain indigenous religious groups, such as that of the Australian Aborigines are more typically totemic, whilst others, like the Inuit are more typically animistic in their worldview.

Motivation

Animism in the widest sense, i.e. thinking of objects as animate, and treating them as if they were animate, is near-universal. Jean Piaget applied the term in child psychology in reference to an implicit understanding of the world in a child’s mind which assumes all events are the product of intention or consciousness. Piaget explains this with a cognitive inability to distinguish the external world from one’s own psyche. Developmental psychology has since established that the distinction of animate vs. inanimate things is an abstraction acquired by learning.

The justification for attributing life to objects was stated by David Hume in his Natural History of Religion (Section III): “There is a universal tendency among mankind to conceive all beings like themselves, and to transfer to every object those qualities with which they are familiarly acquainted, and of which they are intimately conscious.”

Psychoanalysist Sigmund Freud thought that “primitive men” came up with the animistic system by observing the phenomena of sleep (including dreams) and of death which so much resembles it, and by attempting to explain those states. Freud regarded it as perfectly natural for man to react to the phenomena which aroused his speculations by forming the idea of the soul and then extending it to objects in the external world.

Lists of phenomena from the contemplation of which “the savage” was led to believe in animism have been given by Sir E. B. Tylor, Herbert Spencer, Andrew Lang and others; an animated controversy arose between the former as to the priority of their respective lists. Among these phenomena are trance states, dreams and hallucinations.

Animism and religion

Animism is a belief held in many religions around the world, and is not, as some have purported, a type of religion in itself. It is a belief, such as shamanism, polytheism or monotheism, that is found in several religions.

Origin of religion

Some theories have been put forward that the belief in animism among early humans was the basis for the later evolution of religions. In this theory, put forward by Sir E. B. Taylor, early humans initially worshipped local deities of nature, in a form of animism. These eventually grew into larger, polytheistic deities, such as gods of the sun and moon.

World view

In many animistic world views found in hunter-gatherer cultures, the human being is often regarded as on a roughly equal footing with other animals, plants, and natural forces. Therefore, it is morally imperative to treat these agents with respect. In this world view, humans are considered a part of nature, rather than superior to, or separate from it. In such societies, ritual is considered essential for survival, as it wins the favor of the spirits of one’s source of food, shelter, and fertility and wards off malevolent spirits. In more elaborate animistic religions, such as Shinto, there is a greater sense of a special character to humans that sets them apart from the general run of animals and objects, while retaining the necessity of ritual to ensure good luck, favorable harvests, and so on.

Death

Most animistic belief systems hold that the spirit survives physical death. In some systems the spirit is believed to pass to an easier world of abundant game or ever-ripe crops, while in other systems, the spirit remains on earth as a ghost, often malignant. Still other systems combine these two beliefs, holding that the soul must journey to the spirit world without becoming lost and thus wandering as a ghost (e.g., the Navajo religion). Funeral, mourning rituals, and ancestor worship performed by those surviving the deceased are often considered necessary for the successful completion of this journey.

From the belief in the survival of the dead arose the practice of offering food, lighting fires, etc., at the grave, at first, maybe, as an act of friendship or filial piety, later as an act of ancestor worship. The simple offering of food or shedding of blood at the grave develops into an elaborate system of sacrifice. Even where ancestor worship is not found, the desire to provide the dead with comforts in the future life may lead to the sacrifice of wives, slaves, animals, and so on, to the breaking or burning of objects at the grave or to the provision of the ferryman’s toll: a coin put in the mouth of the corpse to pay the traveling expenses of the soul.

But all is not finished with the passage of the soul to the land of the dead. The soul may return to avenge its death by helping to discover the murderer, or to wreak vengeance for itself. There is a widespread belief that those who die a violent death become malignant spirits and endanger the lives of those who come near the haunted spot. In Malay folklore, the woman who dies in childbirth becomes a pontianak, a vampire-like spirit who threatens the life of human beings. People resort to magical or religious means of repelling spiritual dangers from such malignant spirits.

It is not surprising to find that many peoples respect and even worship animals, often regarding them as relatives. It is clear that widespread respect was paid to animals as the abode of dead ancestors, and much of the cults to dangerous animals is traceable to this principle; though there is no need to attribute an animistic origin to it.

The practice of head shrinking among Jivaroan and Urarina peoples derives from an animistic belief that if the spirit of one’s mortal enemies, i.e. the nemesis of ones being, are not trapped within the head, they can escape slain bodies. After the spirit transmigrates to another body, they can take the form of a predatory animal and even exact revenge.

Mythology

A large part of mythology is based upon a belief in souls and spirits “ that is, upon animism in its more general sense. Urarina myths that portray plants, inanimate objects, and non-human animals as personal beings are examples of animism in its more restrictive sense.

However, many mythologies focus largely on corporeal beings rather than “spiritual” ones; the latter may even be entirely absent. Stories of transformation, deluge and doom myths, and myths of the origin of death do not necessarily have any animistic basis.

As mythology began to include more numerous and complex ideas about a future life and purely spiritual beings, the overlap between mythology and animism widened. However, a rich mythology does not necessarily depend on a belief in many spiritual beings.

Philosophy

The term “animism” has been applied to many different philosophical systems. It is used to describe Aristotle’s view of the relation of soul and body held also by the Stoics and Scholastics. On the other hand monadology (Leibniz) has also been termed animistic. The name is most commonly applied to vitalism, a view mainly associated with Georg Ernst Stahl and revived by Francisque Bouillier (1813″Ã¢â‚¬Å“1899), which makes life, or life and mind, the directive principle in evolution and growth, holding that all cannot be traced back to chemical and mechanical processes, but that there is a directive force which guides energy without altering its amount. An entirely different class of ideas, also termed animistic, is the belief in the world soul (anima mundi), held by Plato, Schelling and others.

Distinction from Pantheism

Animism is not the same as Pantheism, although the two are sometimes confused. Some faiths and religions are even both pantheistic and animistic. One of the main differences is that while animists believe everything to be spiritual in nature, they do not necessarily see the spiritual nature of everything in existence as being united (monism), the way pantheists do. As a result, animism puts more emphasis on the uniqueness of each individual soul. Pantheism is not a form of animism, where everything shares the same spiritual essence, rather than having distinct spirits and/or souls.

Contemporary animist traditions

African traditional religions, a group of beliefs in various spirits of nature, are not commonly described as animistic, yet this fact has for many years been disputed by leading cultural anthropologists.
In the Canary Islands (Spain), aboriginal Guanches professed an animistic religion.
Shinto, the traditional religion of Japan, is highly animistic. In Shinto, spirits of nature, or kami, are believed to exist everywhere, from the major (such as the goddess of the sun), which can be considered polytheistic, to the minor, which are more likely to be seen as a form of animism.
There are some Hindu groups which may be considered animist. The coastal Karnataka has a different tradition of praying to spirits. See also Folk Hinduism
Many traditional Native American religions are fundamentally animistic. See, for example, the Lakota Sioux prayer Mitakuye Oyasin. The Haudenausaunee Thanksgiving Address, which can take an hour to recite, directs thanks towards every being “Ã¢â‚¬Å“ plant, animal and other.
The New Age movement commonly purports animism in the form of the existence of nature spirits and fairies.
Modern Neopagans, especially Eco-Pagans, sometimes like to describe themselves as animists, meaning that they respect the diverse community of living beings and spirits with whom humans share the world/cosmos. Some Wiccans may use the term animist to refer to the idea that a Mother Goddess and Horned God consist of everything that exists.

Some anthropologists have asserted that “magical thinking” is a form of proto-science or pseudoscience rather than a form of religious practice, most notable among them being Sir James George Frazer and BronisÃƒâ€¦Ã¢â‚¬Å¡aw Malinowski. By this line of thought, early magical beliefs developed through a post-hoc fallacy “ a supplication was made on the altar, and then it rained shortly afterward. Regardless of whether the supplication was the actual cause, it was credited with the change, and thus magical beliefs could grow.

One magician’s response to this is that magic is unconcerned with establishing causality, only repeatability: Ramsey Dukes explains in his book S.S.O.T.B.M.E. that questions such as “Are you sure it was your magic that cured her?” are irrelevant to the magician. “If it was a coincidence, it doesn’t matter just so long as he can bring about such coincidences.”

Sacrifice

One of the more controversial practices in magic and religion both, this involves a sacrifice to a supernatural being, such as a god, angel, or demon, who is asked to intervene on behalf of the person performing the sacrifice.

Sacrifice can take many forms. The most common forms of supplication and sacrifice in pagan and neopagan religious practice involves the burning of oils or incense. Other common forms of supplication may include the offering of personal objects to a deity, offering chants, and the offering of drinks and food. Less used is blood sacrifice. In early history, blood sacrifice was common; a goat or calf would be sacrificed. Often, divination would be practiced via the reading of entrails (notably in Ancient Rome). Leviticus contains detailed rules for proper blood sacrifice, used in early Judaism. Blood sacrifice has been rejected by some neopagans, but not all; both ÃƒÆ’satrÃƒÆ’º and Celtic/Irish Reconstructionists still practice blood sacrifice and burnt animal offerings. In hoodoo, blood ritual, or the giving of one’s own blood in ritual practices, is not entirely uncommon. Most strands of modern Judaism believe that with the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, there is no place to sacrifice to any more, and thus the need is negated (modern Samaritans disagree, and maintain the practice). In Christianity, it is believed that Jesus’s final sacrifice renders any further sacrifices unnecessary. Some syncretic blends of Islam and native practices in places such as Indonesia feature sacrifice as an element of worship.

The most extreme form of sacrifice, and the one carrying the most negative taboo, is human sacrifice. The moloch is one famous but disputed example of the practice; the Carthaginians seemingly sacrificed young children when circumstances looked grim, hoping to regain their gods’ favor. Some historians attribute this as one reason for their downfall. Other cultures preferred to sacrifice only their enemies, offering up captured prisoners in supplication; the Druids became one of the two religions banned by the Roman Empire due to their practice of (Roman) human sacrifice. The book Genesis contains the famous story of the “Binding of Isaac”; Abraham is ordered to sacrifice his son Isaac by God, but it turns out that God was only performing a test, and a ram is sent instead. Human sacrifice is condemned afterward. The Qur’an contains strong condemnations of the Arabian pagans who would sacrifice babies who turned out to be unwanted girls by leaving them in pots in the desert to die of exposure, saying that such practice surely leads to hell.

Magic and Abrahamic religion

Magic and Abrahamic religions have had a somewhat checkered past. The King James Version of the Bible included the famous translation “Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live” (Exodus 22:18), and Saul is rebuked by God for seeking advice from a diviner who could contact spirits. On the other hand, seemingly magicical signs are documented in the Bible: For example, both the staff of Pharoh’s sorcerers as well as the staff of Moses and Aaron could be turned into snakes (Exodus 7:8-13), although in the Islamic version of the story pharoah’s socerers perform tricks whereas Moses’ staff miraculous becomes a snake, and as a concequence leading the conversion of the sorcerers. See also Numbers 21:5-9, in which Moses creates a Bronze Snake in order to heal the Israelites from snake bites. But see the Talmud, Rosh Hashanah 29a, which asserts that it was not the bronze serpent that healed the Israelites, but rather their seeing the snake and submitting themselves to God.

The words “witch” and “witchcraft” appear in some English versions of the Christian Holy Bible. One verse that is probably responsible for more deaths of suspected witches than any other passage from the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) is Exodus 22:18. In the King James Version, this reads: “Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.” The precise meaning of the Hebrew word kashaph, here translated as “Ã‹Å“witch’ and in some other modern versions, “Ã‹Å“sorceress’, is uncertain. In the Septuagint it was translated as pharmakeia, meaning “Ã‹Å“poisoner’, and on this basis, Reginald Scot claimed in the 16th century that “Ã‹Å“witch’ was an incorrect translation and poisoners were intended. His theory still holds some currency, but is not widely accepted, and in Daniel 2:2 kashaph is listed alongside other magic practitioners who could interpret dreams: magicians, astrologers and Chaldeans.

The Judeo-Christian abhorrence of witches was not peculiar to them. The pagan Roman Empire, Egyptian Empire and Babylonian Empires all developed laws against malevolent witchcraft. The ancient Code of Hammurabi specifically called for death to witches, and also proscribed false accusations of witchcraft:

If a man has laid a charge of witchcraft and has not justified it, he upon whom the witchcraft is laid shall go to the holy river; he shall plunge into the holy river and if the holy river overcome him, he who accused him shall take to himself his house.

Human sacrifice is the act of killing one or more human beings as part of a religious ritual (ritual killing). Its typology closely parallels the various practices of ritual slaughter of animals (animal sacrifice) and of religious sacrifice in general. Human sacrifice has been practised in various cultures throughout history. Victims were typically ritually killed in a manner that was supposed to please or appease gods, spirits or the deceased, for example as a propitiatory offering, or as a retainer sacrifice when the King’s servants are killed in order for them to continue to serve their master in the next life. Closely related practices found in some tribal societies are cannibalism and headhunting.

The emergence of social media, combined with mass access to technology “ camera-equipped cellphones, pocket-size video cameras and blogospheric distribution “ has enabled an insatiable market for spying and gossip. The result has been a cultural breakdown in decency and a blurring of the boundaries of what should be private and public.

Even this discussion feels like an invasion of privacy, given the unbearable pain the Clementi family must be enduring. But sometimes it takes a tragedy to shake us from complacency. Just as Matthew Shepard’s brutal murder in 1998 awakened Americans to the suffering of gays “ a mobilized outrage “ maybe Tyler Clementi will help us recognize how ugly we have become in our worship of this voyeuristic, celebrity culture.

Al Nishimura 1928-2008 was Ariyoshi’s window dressing 1974-1978, Al 1st Hawn banker [Ariyoshi on Dod’s bd.], & Al was useless in the field, which is why Scrub, but more specifically, all-out warrior George Yokoyama, got Roland Higashi born 1940 on board to kick-start Ariyoshi’s flagging prospects. Thru all
this, silent gnome Norm Tsuji 1924-2005 was seen brusquely as Ariyoshi’s butler/errand boy, but Norm reported directly to Ariyoshi [as Norm did w/Burns] as to what really was going on in the field. In effect, Norm was the spy checking on the bosses. Norm/Ben Menor rallied plantation workers to Burns’ win in 1962, of course part of the Jack Hall ILWU crusade to help Burns [Burns helped Hall vs. HUAC red-bait era]. I saw all of our ubiquitous hombres come & go, you name’um, I saw “Ã‹Å“um [Yasuki Arakaki/Tadao Okimoto/Lefty Kuniyoshi/Stan Hara/etc.].
The 3 who stand out are Burns/Scrub & baby brah’ Mits Tanaka “ because this holy trinity never took advantage of others/our spoils system. Typo in previous post “ Trotsky, not Trostky.

Kazuo Komura 1927-1977 [died at age 49 from brain tumor] was our silent hero, sold his fumigation business to get Ariyoshi elected. Though Ariyoshi is wagamama/gouman/kouki/ibaru[selfish/conceited/blowhard], AJAs [buddaheads] took great pride in Ariyoshi being our 1st buddahead Governor. Until 1962, highest elective offices were unthinkable/unspeakable for buddaheads [via anti-
J_p hysteria of WWII — Tojo/kamikaze perjoratives].
Dan Inouye broke the ice/barrier by upsetting Big 5 boy Dillingham for U.S. Senate 1962. Of course, Ariyoshi/Komura were age peers [Komura from Maui], and Komura lived vicariously thru educated Ariyoshi.

Sadly, George Yokoyama, as George entropies into mummification, does not get queried by curious reporters, about our rich/vast political-social history. Though George is just a kid in diapers vs. our older WWII/Nisei 2nd generation buddaheads, all of whom have died, nonetheless George has experienced more than most of us can imagine. I’m just grateful that George Yokoyama has lived this long w/his mind still sharp as a razor. I mentioned the following
encounter many times before, but in case you missed it, here goes “

Banker big shot Al Nishimura 1928-2008 comes from
the common lot [dad Square was a beggar who lived
off patronage ergo solons Cunningham/JFK].

Political titan [manpower a la Mehau] George Yokoyama born 1926 comes from high society [dad real estate entrepreneur/mom language teacher].

Nikita Khrushchev was very proud of his working class origins. Although from a poor family, he had risen to be Premier of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

On a visit to China, Khruschev started teasing Chou En Lai, because Chou En Lai’s family had been wealthy merchants. Khruschev went on and on about Chou En Lai being of the capitalist class, whereas he Khrushchev was truly working class.

Jim Forrestal was our 1st Sec. of Defense [prior title was Sec. of War], who killed himself over being fired by Truman for insubordination [Truman downscaled the military post-WWII, despite Forrestal’s pleas to keep up strength vs. correctly the Soviet takeover of surrounding countries]. Today’s military tiffs vs. Obama because no military wants to lose a war a la Afghanistan. Today’s military has the mindset of Forrestal’s military 65 yrs. ago, that of endless war. Anachronism today!
On our Kimi family fortune, Forrestal’s opposition to major cuts in defense equipment stockpiles at the close of World War II resulted in millions upon millions of dollars of serviceable equipment being scrapped or abandoned rather than have appropriated funds for storage costs. New military equipment en route to operations in the Pacific theater was scrapped or simply tossed overboard. The word on Kimi was “cheaply built, from military surplus.” Kimiville [where today’s soccer field bathrooms are] was our tenement district, and wiped out by the 1960 tsunami. The highest concentration of deaths/injuries was in Kimiville. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Forrestal#Death

It is true, the strength behind the leader is the
person who mystifies me, the so-called unspoken one, like baby brother Andrew was to Peter [Bible]. God has no use for pride, such that the meekest of the meek went on to lead, like Moses/Gideon. Look at King David. Lowly Nathan chastened shell-shocked David. Look at Joshua/etc. All unheralded/unsung
heroes. Tremendous symbolism of “never judge a book by its cover.” The inverse holds true too. Look at taisho tengu [conceited via his Ph.D.] Dick Matsuura “ so in love with himself Dick writes a glitzy book about himself. The most valuable thing about Dick’s book is the book cover “ you can use it as a table mat/cover. Nothing else between the bookends is worth anything, unless you believe in the brilliance of propaganda. Dick battled Cayetano but was a duplicate of Ariyoshi [only look after themselves]. Norm Tsuji was ready to call 911 when Dick went berserk at Hilo airport over just-arrived Cayetano refusing to appoint Dick’s son David to replace terminally ill Dick in the Senate. Dick was so in love with himself. George Yokoyama/Scrub Tanaka/you name it, no one could stand tengu/conceited Dick.

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Dick Matsuura fancied himself a samurai. More end of the sword tip than sword handle holder. Target of a samurai apt. Brings us to Rahm Emanuel born 1959. Rahm’s dad M.D. Jewish freedom fighter, mom Chicago counterculture hauteur. Rahm is “live by the sword, die by the sword.” Omen, because Rahm
is a lone ranger, but especially in politics you need consensus/social skills. Rahm lacks both.

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Scrub Tanaka never enriched himself, never looked
for personal gain, never looked after himself, unlike Ariyoshi/Waihe’e/Cayetano. Ariyoshi wishy-washy,
not decisive like Burns/Tanaka. Scrub would tell Obama to be decisive, don’t be wishy washy. Yes, totalitarian states have decisive events, because there”s no diversity of views to balance out/create the best option. Democracy often crawls, one person one vote. Nonetheless, Obama, Scrub would say, needs to command, to lead, as few statesmen/women ever had led before. FDR/Nixon/Reagan were great internationalists/leaders. Truly remarkable statesmen/leaders. It’s Obama’s omen/oracle that Obama wants to be the consummate compromiser, but in doing so, Obama fails to lead. LBJ was the master of consensus, who always quoted Isaiah l:18:’Come now, let us reason together.” But LBJ failed to lead us out of our Vietnam quagmire, just as Obama fails us in Afghanistan 40 yrs. later. Obama needs to lead, per Scrub if Scrub were alive today to advise Obama.

The departure of Mel Mynah Bird Medeiros closes an incredible chapter in our social history. Do you realize that Mynah Bird held our collective conservative refrain/view on politics for the past 50+ yrs.? Kaumana’s Mynah Bird was our Walter Winchell, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Winchell

Of course, Jewish Winchell’s invectives vs. Jim Forrestal’s opposition to partition of Palestine factored in to Forrestal’s suicide. Thankfully, Mynah Bird had supreme grace & sympathy, and was not vicious/lethal like Winchell.

Mynah Bird’s irrepressible charm/personality held spellbound our WWII’s Greatest Generation, even though historian Mynah Bird was a generation after our parents’ generation. Mynah Bird age 70 is my generation. Mynah Bird even held willingly captive the last remaining mohicans of our WWI generation [the last Great War]. Yes, Mynah Bird is the Bridge Generation along w/Roland Higashi/Jimmy Arakaki/Walt Dods “ who saw doors slammed in their faces via Big 5 repression, but who were young/savvy enough to benefit off the spoils of post-Statehood prosperity. Mynah Bird reduxes of a lost time/
era whose patrons have gone to the Heavenly Father above, but still, to a kid at heart like me, Mynah Bird is larger than life. Mynah Bird is John Wayne, Cary Grant, Clint Eastwood all rolled into one. Granted, Mynah Bird’s had his trough [vs. crest],
but you know what, we all fall short. You who
criticize are the first to be exposed.

I cried very much when I saw nothing about legendary
Mynah Bird on great editor Tiff’s thread/posts about KIPA’s shutdown. See, gang, as w/Sempai Kondo’s intonation, it is our tribute, our lifeblood, to bespeak the wonderment of an era led by the incomparable Mynah Bird. Mynah Bird is a genuine hero to us all. Viver bem, Luso y historia 🙂

J_ps would say that Balberde/Mufi are waru bozu “Ã¢â‚¬Å“
punk ass kids. Balberde is Spanish, not Luso
[Portuguese]. De Mello/Castro [deceased] were wagamama [self-promoters]/tengu [conceited] Luso
noiseboxes, coward De Mello always using tarantaran
Castro as cover. Of course, unrelated Eddie De Mello was a Castro forerunner, unlike fellow Luso George Martin 1924-2008, a true statesman/great
equanimity-balance. I rate Papa’ikou/Waipunalei
George Martin as among our 3 greatest Luso, in trinity w/Bishop Alencastre of Wainaku & Rev. Ernest
Gomes De Silva of Central Christian Church on Haili St. [mauka of our Tsunami restaurant]. Great educator Ernest Bowen De Silva is parson’s son, and our toughest mob-buster Paul M. De Silva is Ernest B.’s son, Paul born 1934. Gerald De Mello/Butch
Castro killed the Democratic Party. Everything they did was to enrich themselves for personal gain. Current boss Steve Pavao born 1956 has such greed/envy in him, but thankfully he is not out of control like De Mello/Castro. These fruits fall from the same tree. Let’s hope Pavao does what he promises, to expand the base of Democrats as an
inclusive party of the unwashed/unclean/unwanted of society. Scrub fretted over Bobbi Jean Leithead Todd as a J_p wanna-be, when she’d be better just being herself, ergo a fighter for the underclass, from whence she came. Bobbi can be
another leap of faith a la Jack Burns if she gets
rid of her emotional baggage over her inspirations
from our retro world, yes Ushijima land. People
Politic have no use for Ushijima pride. Scrub had tremendous aspirations for Leithead Todd. It’s
too bad he didn’t live to see her ascend.
Hanabusa got the same problem as Leithead Todd. Why
back up their ditsy Portagees so much? All mouth/
talking heads/noiseboxes a la Gerald De Mello/Butch Castro types. Too bad. Pochos rule, baby!! Yeah, you wish.

Once Jack Burns 1909-1975 acquired power by
overthrowing our Big 5 Oligarchy in 1962,
Burns astutely co-opted Merchant St. moguls
to build up an egalitarian Hawai’i. Though
all of Burns’ henchmen enriched themselves
at the public’s expense, and thereby failed
to utilize their newly-won power for the
public good, at least Burns was realistic
enough to balance capitalist development
w/esthetic peace of mind, as w/Magic Island.
Our greatest land use avatar Tom Gill
advocated Magic Island as a public park, vs.
Dillingham’s desire to develop Magic Island
as a commercial high scale beachfront mecca.
When Burns saw Gill creep up in the polls vs.
Burns’ re-election run 1970, w/Gill’s “Magic
Island for the public good” platform
as Gill’s popular point, Burns reversed/
turned his back toward Dillingham’s gang
& piggy-backed on Gill’s genesis for Magic
Island. Practical politics, not esthetic/
not principle. Realistic empiricism, not
moral scruples.

Burns had trouble controlling Dan
Inouye born 1924, egotistic punk who
defied Burns by running for U.S. Senate
seat upon Statehood 1959, but finally
was talked down by Burns to go for
consolation prize of sole U.S. House seat,
being that voters weren’t ready to elect
J_p to U.S. Senate. Burns put up Oren
Long for U.S. Senate. Long 1889-1965
was old fart has-been by 1959, but was
Burns’ pick because of Long’s haole
blood & egalitarian track record
[Long our best-ever educator/king of
the common lot]. Of course, Long
promised Burns that Long would step
down in 1962 [shortened tenure],
to have Inouye take charge, but
Long reneged in 1962, & Burns had
to overpower Long w/proxies galore
to force Long’s retirement.
Presciently, Long died just 2 yrs.
later.

Dan Inouye comes to Hilo, sees George Mukai. Inouye laments to Mukai, “Cheez, George, still so-ah, my arm killin’ me! [phantom pain to date, yes, 65+ yrs. after Inouye lost his arm]. Why talk to George?
“Ã‹Å“Cause George lost his leg WWII, like Inouye lost Inouye’s arm. To date, George cannot stand the pain in his leg [phantom pain]. It’s killin’ George “ gets up in the middle of the night in cold sweat w/unspeakable bursts of pain in his [phantom] leg. No kidding, gang. War doesn’t end, you know, for warriors. War kills them like it killed their brothers-in-arm eons ago. Yes, no kidding. Just ask Sempai Kondo. Love everlasting, in tribute to our immortalized patriots, “Ã¢â‚¬Å“:-)

Okay, I knew/interviewed many folks from all walks of life “ here’s aikidoka master Takashi Nonaka’s sum-up, per request from Stateside martial art pundit Svinth for me to get da scoop on Nonaka, exactly a decade ago.

Nearly all of the folks I interviewed were madly in love with themselves. But one person stands out as
truly humble “ Pinoy 2nd generation Jose Mercado,
our 1st ever National AAU boxing champ 1939, whose namesake [he didn’t know] is the father of P.I. independence, Dr. Jose Mercado Rizal. Jose was the Ali of his era/age, simply a blur/whirling dervish. Yet, Jose always thanked his parents for the opportunity for Jose to box, whereas everyone else toiled in the canefields. And Jose always thanked each & every coach he had, & each & every opponent, because from every match/fight, Jose learned more about the art of self defense. Jose’s early mentor was Tsuneo Koike from Na’alehu. Jose was a really humble fella, an amazing person to know.
with themselves.

Kanaka Johnny Wilson 1871-1956 was our first Democrat, who propped up David Kawananakoa
in 1900 to run as Delegate to Congress.
Wilson has the 2nd longest tenure as O’ahu
mayor, 17 yrs., vs. Fasi’s 22 yrs. Wilson
started our Democratic Party on Hawai’i
Island, led by OT Shipman over a century
ago. OT is Papa Herb Shipman’s uncle.
Wilson’s wife was hula master Jennie,
among the earliest revivalists of our
ancient hula. Wilson’s immersion into
our Asian/Luso population resulted in
Maui’s Takaichi Miyamoto 1897-1981, our
1st powerful buddahead Democrat [who
became Wilson’s chief of staff along
w/Chinese Herb Kum, of Hilo roots],
& in Manuel Pacheco & Henry Freitas
a century ago, our greatest Luso
solons along w/Maui’s later solon
Elmer Cravalho born 1926. Wilson
jump-started our local buddahead
Democrats Dr. Mitsuo Kuwahara/
Seiichi Morita/Rich Imai/Tets
Morinoue, the latter 3 from
Kea’au, along w/Statesiders
Gus Supe Sr./Milburn Gregory,
among others. Before last
of the mohicans Rich Imai died
1910-20009, Rich said that
Uncle Johnny [Wilson] would’ve
been proud of Wilson’s prodigal
son Jack Burns’ takeover of
the reins of power vs. Oligarch
Big 5. Uncle Johnny had a
bone to pick, because he was part
of the monarchy retinue, and railed
vs. Thurston’s haoles on Merchant
St. who upended the Haw’n way of
life. Rich himself, the last
vestige of the old Guard Democrats
long before Scrub Tanaka 1915-2006
took over post-WWII, was proud of
greased lightning Scrub for fighting
for the common lot. Rich was elated
that his old Guard helped pave the way
for Scrub to create real magic/
altruism post-WWII.

Reincarnation refers to an afterlife concept found among Hindus, Buddhists, Rosicrucians, Spiritists, and Wiccans. Reincarnation is also a belief described in Judaism as gilgul neshamot (Reincarnation of Souls), although there is no reference to reincarnation in the Talmud or any prior writings. In reincarnation, spiritual development continues after death as the deceased begins another earthly life in the physical world, acquiring a superior grade of consciousness and altruism by means of successive reincarnations. This succession leads toward an eventual liberation.

One consequence of the Hindu and Spiritist beliefs is that our current lives are also an afterlife. According to those beliefs events in our current life are consequences of actions taken in previous lives, or Karma.

Contempo existentialism postulates that
one must make his and her own values in an indifferent world. One can live meaningfully (free of despair and anxiety) in an unconditional commitment to something finite, and devotes that meaningful life to the commitment, despite the external vulnerability inherent to doing so.

Philosophy
In the Gathas, Zoroaster sees the human condition as the mental struggle between aÃƒâ€¦¡a (truth) and druj (lie). The cardinal concept of aÃƒâ€¦¡a”which is highly nuanced and only vaguely translatable”is at the foundation of all Zoroastrian doctrine, including that of Ahura Mazda (who is aÃƒâ€¦¡a), creation (that is aÃƒâ€¦¡a), existence (that is aÃƒâ€¦¡a) and as the condition for Free Will, which is arguably Zoroaster’s greatest contribution to religious philosophy.

The purpose of humankind, like that of all other creation, is to sustain aÃƒâ€¦¡a. For humankind, this occurs through active participation in life and the exercise of constructive thoughts, words and deeds.

Elements of Zoroastrian philosophy entered the West through their influence on Judaism and Middle Platonism and have been identified as one of the key early events in the development of philosophy. Among the classic Greek philosophers, Heraclitus is often referred to as inspired by Zoroaster’s thinking. Contemporary Zoroastrians often point to the similarities between Zoroaster’s philosophy and the ideas of Luso Baruch Spinoza, who prodigal son is George Santayana, who reduxed Spinoza’s naturalistic/ relative/subjective basis of morality.

It is also apparent from this that Spinoza is a kind of subjectivist about moral values. That is, he does not take good and evil to be real properties/facts in the objects we attribute them to, but rather, they are simply thoughts we have about the comparative value of one thing to another for a particular person.

In his seminal work Also sprach Zarathustra (Thus Spoke Zarathustra) (1885) the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche uses the native Iranian name Zarathustra (i.e. the Persian Zarathustra, as opposed to the Greek-Latin name Zoroaster) which has a significant meaning[s] as he had used the familiar Greek-Latin name in his earlier works.[42] In particular that Nietzsche states explicitly “I must pay tribute to Zarathustra, a Persian (German: einem Perser): Persians were the first who thought of history in its full entirety.” It is believed that Nietzsche creates a characterization of Zarathustra as the mouthpiece for Nietzsche’s own ideas against morality. Nietzsche did so because”so says Nietzsche in his autobiographical Ecce Homo (IV/Schicksal.3)”Zarathustra was a moralist (“was the exact reverse of an immoralist”) and because “in his teachings alone is truthfulness upheld as the highest virtue.” Zarathustra “created” morality in being the first to reveal it, “first to see in the struggle between good and evil the essential wheel in the working of things.”

Eastern eyes desire a pain-free existence [free of physical suffering]. Western eyes desire a guilt-
free life [free of personal sin]. Islam desires a pride-free life [free of destructive egotism — thence the constant bowing to the ground]. Eastern eyes recycle life and try to evolve into hara/kara “ eternal states of emptiness “ empty of human sensations of pain/anxiety/etc. I visualize a tuning fork which blots out all else around it “ its whirring blur/hyper-vibrations soothe/ease/calm me to no end. Islam’s Paradise parallels Eastern eyes [bowing also an Eastern trait] via Allah’s pride-free Celestial Sphere “ be of service to Allah, & correspondingly to all others/everything.

The concept of cyclical patterns is very prominent in Indian religions, predominantly in Jainism and inclusive of Hinduism and Buddhism among others. The Wheel of life represents an endless cycle of birth, life, and death from which one seeks liberation. In Tantric Buddhism, a wheel of time concept known as the Kalachakra expresses the idea of an endless cycle of existence and knowledge.

The Bhavacakra (Sanskrit) or Wheel of Becoming (Tibetan) is a complex symbolic representation of saÃƒÂ¡¹Ã†â€™sÃƒâ€žra in the form of a circle, found primarily in Tibetan Buddhist art. SaÃƒÂ¡¹Ã†â€™sÃƒâ€žra is the continuous cycle of birth, life, and death from which one liberates oneself through enlightenment.

In these respects, Obama-thology consists of President Obama’s prodigious intellect, such that
his cult or power of his intellect overcomes any
common sense in getting out of Afghanistan. Thence
the visible entropy/diminishment of his heart/
better instincts. Being Christian, President
Obama bears tremendous guilt over our KIAs/WIAs/other
casualties of war, especially civilians, via our collective sins of imperialist expansionism fueled by our oil profiteers [pride/greed]. Maybe with Eastern eyes, President Obama simply would put a stop to our slaughter and maiming & causing untold suffering and personal tragedy by leaving Afghanistan like the Soviets did in a year and a half in 1987. End the personal suffering via Eastern eyes. End the pain. Maybe with Islam eyes, President Obama would forget about our pride/vanity [how we want other countries to look at us] & simply bring home our troops from Afghanistan, inasmuch our national security is not jeopardized there at all. Western eyes? Guilt over our sins of pride/vanity/greed/envy [for oil]. Intuitively, President Obama needs to listen to his heart/better
instincts and immediately bring home our troops from Afghanistan to ward off any more wounds of guilt/
terminal sin.

It has been reported that Oshiro came out as gay in this past legislative session, which isn’t the case.

“I had never hid it,” he said. It was, however, the first time a reporter ever asked him about it. He answered truthfully but worried that people would become fixated on that answer.

“I didn’t want that to be the first adjective used to describe me,” he said. “It is just one of many things I am, both good and bad.”

Time is viewed as being cyclical, not linear, per Grecian tragedians & non-Judeo-Christians. The reason is the absence of divine intercession, ergo Judeo-Christian God.

Eternal return (also known as “eternal recurrence”) is a concept which posits that the universe has been recurring, and will continue to recur, in a self-similar form an infinite number of times. The concept initially inherent in Indian philosophy was later found in ancient Egypt, and was subsequently taken up by the Pythagoreans and Stoics. With the decline of Greek antiquity and the spread of Christianity, the concept fell into disuse, though Friedrich Nietzsche resurrected it.

Cyclical thinking hinges on human nature, not on God’s will [ergo humanity’s defiance of God’s will], & cyclical thinking is like how Socrates said that ignorance is the root of all evil. It follows that, for the Greek philosopher, right understanding will lead to right action. The man who really understands and knows acts rightly. And, of course, behind this assumption stands the belief that man is basically good.

We see in this the foundation of modern thought patterns: the idea that education will produce right behavior and that man, being basically good, only needs to learn and he will behave. So we read such statements as that formulated by Solon: According to the immanent laws of developing reality, according to the law of time, the bad withers and the good flourishes and establishes itself. And as man evolves into a a more conscious and wise being thru recycling of eternal life, peace will reign over war, love over fear.

In all this we see the background of more modern thought, the view that all wrong action of men stems from ignorance, which can be removed by education, and thus avoiding any thought of personal responsibility. Greek tragedy is based on understandable mistakes, not cardinal sins postulated in later Christian texts. Thence the cathartic effect of Grecian vicarious tragedy “ to empathize/learn from the character’s mistakes,
& to prevent them from recurring.

The factor obviously lacking in this philosophy, from the Christian view, is the will, by which man expresses his defiance of God and his Word.

Amor fati is a Latin phrase coined by Nietzsche loosely translating to “love of fate” or “love of one’s fate.” It is used to describe an attitude in which one sees everything that happens in one’s life, including suffering and loss, as good. Thence, Nietzsche posited that the eternal return of all events would mark the ultimate affirmation of life, a reaction to his naysayers’ point of denying the will”Ã¢â‚¬Å“to”Ã¢â‚¬Å“live. To comprehend eternal recurrence in his thought, and not merely to come to peace with it but to embrace it, requires amor fati, “love of fate.”

Again, there is no such thing as a man or a woman who doesn’t know how to communicate. Only folks who have decided “ often with good reason “ to stop communicating. They were just punished too many times.

Want a thriving marriage? Then be careful. If you’re going to invite someone’s whole heart out into the open, you have an obligation to receive that heart with a near sacred tenderness. Whatever comes out of your mate’s mouth, however hard it might be to hear, give thanks that you are the one hearing it.

And then you can act all surprised and hurt and betrayed when your mate pretty much never comes home from work. Or gains a hundred pounds. Or drinks all weekend. Or prefers surfing porn sites over talking to you. Or runs off with a firefighter. Or a redhead.

A cyclic model is any of several cosmological models in which the universe follows infinite, self-sustaining cycles. For example, the oscillating universe theory briefly considered by Albert Einstein in 1930 theorized a universe being an eternal series of oscillations, each beginning with a big bang and ending with a big crunch; in the interim, the universe would expand for a period of time before the gravitational attraction of matter causes it to collapse back in and undergo a bounce.

Einstein’s cyclic model for the universe became an everlasting alternative to the model of an expanding universe. However, work by Richard C. Tolman in 1934 showed that these early attempts failed because of the entropy problem that, in statistical mechanics, entropy only increases because of the Second law of thermodynamics. This implies that successive cycles grow longer and larger. Extrapolating back in time, cycles before the present one become shorter and smaller culminating again in a Big Bang and thus not replacing it. This puzzling situation remained for many decades until the early 21st century when the recently discovered dark energy component provided new hope for a consistent cyclic cosmology.

As in modern physics, Hindu cosmology envisaged the universe as having a cyclical nature. The end of each kalpa brought about by Shiva’s dance is also the beginning of the next. Rebirth follows destruction.

Unlike the West, which lives in a historical world, India is rooted in a timeless universe of eternal return: everything which happens has already done so many times before, though in different guises. Hinduism arose from the discoveries of people who felt that they had gained an insight into the nature of reality through deep meditation and ascetic practices. Science uses a heuristic method that requires objective proof of mathematical theories. Yet both have proposed similar scenarios for the creation of the universe.

These ritual cycles do more than give humans a sense of value. Because traditional man identifies reality with the Sacred, he believes that the world can endure only if it remains in sacred time. He periodically revives sacred time through myths and rituals in order to keep the universe in existence. In many cultures, this belief appears to be consciously held and clearly stated.

“We know how, in the past, humanity has been able to endure the sufferings we have enumerated: they were regarded as a punishment inflicted by God, the syndrome of the decline of the “Ã‹Å“age,’ and so on. And it was possible to accept them precisely because they had a metahistorical meaning. Every war rehearsed the struggle between good and evil, every fresh social injustice was identified with the sufferings of the Saviour (or, for example, in the pre-Christian world, with the passion of a divine messenger or vegetation god), each new massacre repeated the glorious end of the martyrs. By virtue of this view, tens of millions of men were able, for century after century, to endure great historical pressures without despairing, without committing suicide or falling into that spiritual aridity that always brings with it a relativistic or nihilistic view of history.” Eliade, The Myth of the Eternal Return, pp. 151-52

In religion, transcendence is a condition or state of being that surpasses physical existence and in one form is also independent of it. It is affirmed in the concept of the divine in the major religious traditions, and contrasts with the notion of God, or the Absolute, existing exclusively in the physical order (immanentism), or indistinguishable from it (pantheism). Transcendence can be attributed to the divine not only in its being, but also in its knowledge. Thus, God transcends the universe, but also transcends knowledge (is beyond the grasp of the human mind). Although transcendence is defined as the opposite of immanence, the two are not necessarily mutually exclusive. Some theologians and metaphysicians of the great religious traditions affirm that God, or Brahman, is both within and beyond the universe (panentheism); in it, but not of it; simultaneously pervading it and surpassing it.

______________________________________________________

President Obama can better use cyclical time as a
work in progress to do what is sensible, and not fall under the unbearable weight/judgment of linear time [judgment of only one shot at doing right, no 2nd chances — metaphysically], and stay frozen in his tracks on withdrawing out of Afghanistan in linear time. Cyclical time posits humanity as mindless by ignorance/mistake, not inherently evil by sin. So that President Obama can brush off his dust from his fall and lead immediately our withdrawal out of Afghanistan per cyclical time. He learns from his mistakes, and we learn from his mistakes. Too much judgment [guilt/sin] intervene in linear time. Not so w/cyclical time. Cyclical time practical/pragmatic.

In response to the Lingle Administration’s appeal of last year’s Hawaii State Supreme Court “Ã‹Å“ceded lands’ ruling, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, backed by its client-protestors, is demanding the state legislature vote to abandon its right to sell state-owned “Ã‹Å“ceded’ lands. If the Legislature bows to OHA’s demands, the state will be in direct violation of the Admission Act”and contrary to OHA propaganda; it is native Hawaiians who will (once again) pay the price for OHA’s power grab.

OHA’s legal assault on “Ã‹Å“ceded’ lands began with a 1994 suit seeing to prevent the State from selling about 500 acres in Lahaina to construct the Leiali`i affordable housing development and another approximately 1,000 acres in North Kona for the La`i`opua affordable housing development near Kealakehe High School. The Hawaii Admission Act specifies five purposes for which the ceded lands “shall be” used including: “the development of farm and home ownership on as widespread a basis as possible”¦.” If the State cannot sell “Ã‹Å“ceded’ lands, it cannot promote “ownership.”

Thousands of Hawaiians and non-Hawaiians have left Hawaii in recent years. In 2007 nearly 10,000 residents left”proportionally higher than the average rate of exodus from communist Cuba. The primary reason for these departures is the lack of affordable housing in Hawai`i. And yet the Office of Hawaiian Affairs has consumed the last 14 years seeking to prevent the construction of affordable housing on “Ã‹Å“ceded’ lands. According to OHA “Ã‹Å“ceded’ lands are to be used for the benefit of Hawaiians. In reality OHA’s policy is to grab power for its Trustees by preventing the use of “Ã‹Å“ceded;’ lands for the benefit of Hawaiians and non-Hawaiians alike.

It’s not just affordable housing which suffers. OHA trustees in 2007 blocked the County of Kaua`i from constructing a juvenile residential drug treatment facility near the Hanapepe Salt ponds. OHA’s motivation”Ã¢â‚¬Å“to again assert authority over other entities’ land use decisions. As a result of OHA’s actions, Hawaiian and non-Hawaiian children are not getting the help they need to get off methamphetamines.

OHA trustees also claim ownership of Hawai`i’s subterranean fresh water resources. Their 2007 assault on the Kaua`i Springs bottled water company failed. But OHA’s grab for natural resources strangles economic opportunity. Lack of opportunity is the flip side of lack of affordable housing”together these two conditions, created by OHA, drive the continuing exodus.

OHA’s claims over the land use decisions of Moloka`i Ranch and competing claims from OHA-agent-turned-rival Walter Ritte, led to the shutdown of the island’s largest private employer and the loss of 120 jobs on the most Hawaiian of the major islands. Now the legislature is considering a bill to steal the ranch from its owners. This drives the exodus.

Had OHA been successful, thousands of acres of Moloka`i Ranch land would have ended up under the control of a so-called “Ã‹Å“non-profit’ headed by OHA trustee Collette Machado. Is Moloka`i paying the price for an OHA policy designed to benefit one Trustee?

On the Big Island, OHA-funded agents asserting claims over the private property of others created the Hokuli`a debacle. They demanded millions of dollars in payment for themselves backing down in 2006 when the Legislature threatened to pass a bill by Rep Bob Herkes “Ã‹Å“grandfathering’ all agricultural subdivisions. Jobs and affordable housing have both been lost as investors seek jurisdictions where they will not be subject to greenmail. This too, drives the exodus.

OHA-funded agents led by convicted drug dealer Ralph Palikapu Dedman, blocked construction of clean geothermal electricity generation facilities at Wao Kele O Puna. OHA Trustees in 2006 got ownership of 25,856 acres in Puna, including the valuable geothermal well at an out-of-pocket cost of only $350,000 to OHA. Hawaiians lost economic opportunity and lost the opportunity for cheap clean energy. (Although one may be sure that as soon as the lava threat from Pu`u O`o subsides, OHA will begin looking for a contractor to finish the geothermal project in order to generate a revenue stream to the agency.) Thanks to OHA, electricity costs are higher, pollution is greater, jobs and economic opportunity are lost. This too, drives the exodus.

Dedman’s OHA-funded group Ka`u Preservation, Inc sought to convince the County of Hawai`i to use its power of eminent domain to seize a resort property and take the kuleana plots of other Hawaiians at Punalu`u, Ka`u. They failed, but did manage to chase away the developer. The same OHA-funded gang also failed in efforts to force the demolition of a legally constructed single family home nearby. These efforts endanger the real assets of all Hawai`i residents including Hawaiians. They also destroy economic opportunity and affordable housing. This too, drives the exodus.

OHA’s stewardship of O`ahu’s Waimea Valley under a newly created LLC is challenged by the Stewards of Waimea Valley who demand a “forensic audit” OHA calling it a “rogue agency.” Others argue that OHA is “trying to turn Waimea Valley into a popular visitor attraction “¦ at the expense of cultural and natural resources.” Thousands of Hawaiians are homeless and living on the beach, but OHA did not seek land for them. Instead they took control of a potentially-money-making cultural attraction and then handed it over to a Limited Liability Corporation.

Hawaiians testified against last years proposed OHA settlement with signs reading: “OHA Stop stealing from Hawaiians”. One speaker at a Hilo public hearing February 25 on the settlement proposal pointed out, “You guys (OHA) are just using us Hawaiians.” The meeting opened with a 30 minute power-point presentation by Dr Jonathan Scheuer, director of OHA’s then-newly-created land management hale. Scheuer explained: “OHA has fought this battle (for control over land) for 30 years. And it has distracted OHA from its core mission which is the betterment of the conditions of native Hawaiians.”

This should not be surprising. Land is a natural resource. Economies based on natural resources tend toward poverty and corruption.

The Economist, December 20, 2005 explains: “When it comes to wasted wealth, and the problems that bedevil poor countries that are rich in natural resources, especially oil, there is plenty of blame to go around. Economists have long observed that such countries tend to do badly. In a study in 1995, Jeffrey Sachs, now of Columbia University in New York, showed that the resource-rich grow more slowly than other poor countries”even after such variables as initial per capita income and trade policies are taken into account. “¦”

OHA’s entire “30 year battle” has been to place the worst elements of a natural-resource dependent economy under the control of a tribal government and mix in the kind of dependency-creating social programs which have done so much damage in America’s inner cities. The common factor: each of these elements of OHA’s scheme have proven to entrench corrupt political officials in power.

The penultimate section of OHA’s proposed bill reads: “This Act shall remain in effect until the claims of the native Hawaiian people to the public land trust lands have been resolved or until the legislature finds that the state no longer supports reconciliation between the state and the native Hawaiian people.”

The State of Hawaii should apologize to Hawaiians for establishing the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and should reconcile with Hawaiians by abolishing it.

The notion of the Absurd contains the idea that there is no meaning to be found in the world beyond what meaning we give to it. This meaninglessness also encompasses the amorality or “unfairness” of the world. This contrasts with “karmic” ways of thinking in which “bad things don’t happen to good people”; to the world, metaphorically speaking, there is no such thing as a good person or a bad thing; what happens happens, and it may just as well happen to a “good” person as to a “bad” person.

In absurdist philosophy, the Absurd arises out of the fundamental disharmony between the individual’s search for meaning and the apparent meaninglessness of the universe. As beings looking for meaning in a meaningless world, humans have three ways of resolving the dilemma. Kierkegaard and Camus describe the solutions in their works, The Sickness Unto Death (1849) and The Myth of Sisyphus (1942):

* Suicide (or, “escaping existence”): a solution in which a person simply ends one’s own life. Both Kierkegaard and Camus dismiss the viability of this option, in that we are born to live out our lives, not to kill ourselves.

* Religious belief in a transcendent realm or being: a solution in which one believes in the existence of a reality that is beyond the Absurd, and, as such, has meaning. Kierkegaard stated that a belief in anything beyond the Absurd requires a non-rational but perhaps necessary religious acceptance in such an intangible and empirically unprovable thing (now commonly referred to as a “leap of faith”). However, Camus regarded this solution as “philosophical suicide.”

* Acceptance of the Absurd: a solution in which one accepts and even embraces the Absurd and continues to live in spite of it. Camus endorsed this solution, while Kierkegaard regarded this solution as “demoniac madness”: “He rages most of all at the thought that eternity might get it into its head to take his misery from him!”

Angst

Angst, sometimes called dread, anxiety or even anguish is a term that is common to many existentialist thinkers. It is generally held to be a negative feeling arising from the experience of human freedom and responsibility. The archetypal example is the experience one has when standing on a cliff where one not only fears falling off it, but also dreads the possibility of throwing oneself off. In this experience that “nothing is holding me back”, one senses the lack of anything that predetermines one to either throw oneself off or to stand still, and one experiences one’s own freedom. In Eastern thought, hara/kara “nothingness” is key to inner composure “ not ruled by emotion one way or the other. Not so in Western subjective thought.

It can also be seen in relation to the previous point how angst is before nothing, and this is what sets it apart from fear which has an object. While in the case of fear, one can take definitive measures to remove the object of fear, in the case of angst, no such “constructive” measures are possible. The use of the word “nothing” in this context relates both to the inherent insecurity about the consequences of one’s actions, and to the fact that, in experiencing one’s freedom as angst, one also realizes that one will be fully responsible for these consequences; there is no thing in a person (their genes, for instance) that acts in their stead, and that they can “blame” if something goes wrong.

Not every choice is perceived as having dreadful possible consequences (and, it can be claimed, human lives would be unbearable if every choice facilitated dread), but that doesn’t change the fact that freedom remains a condition of every action.

Emphasizing action, freedom, and decision as fundamental, existentialists oppose themselves to rationalism and positivism. That is, they argue against definitions of human beings as primarily rational. Rather, existentialists look at where people find meaning. Existentialism asserts that people actually make decisions based on the meaning to them rather than rationally.

Indian discussion of reincarnation enters the historical record from about the 6th century BCE, with the development of the Vedantic tradition, in the early Upanishads (around the middle of the first millennium BCE), Gautama Buddha (5th century BCE) as well as Mahavir the Tirthankar of Jainism.

Early Greek discussion of the concept likewise dates to the 6th century BCE. An early Greek thinker known to have considered rebirth is Pherecydes of Syros (540 BCE). His younger contemporary Pythagoras (c. 570-c. 495 BCE), its first famous exponent, instituted societies for its diffusion. Plato (428/427 BC “Ã¢â‚¬Å“ 348/347 BC) presented accounts of reincarnation in his works, particularly the Myth of Er.

Judeo-Christian thought does not have reincarnation.

President Obama’s motto to our Base/actual voters
is “be thankful for small favors [get us out of
Iraq/health care reform/stimulus for economy/etc.].”
What holds back him on Afghanistan is his political snafu “ foolish retention of guilt over his campaign slogan, “Iraq is not the problem, it’s Afghanistan [9-ll][Bush concocted Iraq war].” Afghanistan is not the problem. Our war/oil profiteers are the problem. President Obama needs more cyclical system in him & less linear system [ergo, linear personal anguish-guilt over KIAs/WIAs/civilian casualties via sins of pride/vanity/greed/envy for oil]. Cyclical empiricism/pragmatism/sensibility. LBJ apoplexy freezes President Obama in his tracks “ he needs to listen more to his heart than head, & disregard our
military endless war propagandists. Get us out of Afghanistan a la Soviet withdrawal 1987 which took a year and a half. Yes, Grecian tragedy is deterministic, but President Obama still can redeem history and himself via immediate withdrawal from Afghanistan. Our worst economic disaster since the
Great Depression 80 yrs. ago befalls us today [Greenspan’s deregulation 30 yrs. ago which eventually fell Wall St. 2008/resulted in today’s massive unemployment-depression], and our domestic front is in shambles. Our soldiers need to come home from engaging in foreign shot and shell, albeit to more unemployment/dead economy. We need our
soldiers home.

Like or Dislike: 00

Curtis Narimatsu

Meiji Japan continued —

Most often, however, marriage occurred between two families of equal status. Female virginity at marriage was important in the samurai classes; it was much less important to the lower classes. After marriage, women were restricted from taking additional sexual partners. Males, however, were able to take concubines and have relations with unmarried women. Divorce was not uncommon and a woman from a poor household could easily leave her husband and return to her birth family.

Challenges to the social order

The foundation of this period was its stable social order. However, as wealth became increasingly concentrated outside of the samurai class social conflict grew. The fixed stipends on which samurai lived did not increase despite the rising cost of commodities and the ever more burdensome cost of proper social etiquette. As a result many samurai became in debt to wealthy merchant families. These wealthy merchants, in turn, were restricted from showing their wealth for fear of violating the laws that restricted privileges to the samurai class. This created deepening resentment but also increasing interdependence between the two classes. Some scholars began to question the Confucian beliefs that provided the foundation of society.

Changes in rural areas were also creating conflict. New technology increased productivity and allowed some families to produce a surplus of food that could be used to support ventures beyond farming. Some peasants also became indebted to their wealthier neighbors and an increasing number of families lost ownership of their land. This sparked resentment that at times erupted in violence towards landlords and village elite.

These social stresses laid the foundation for the changes that would follow during the Meiji period.

Ancient HawaiÃƒÅ »i was a caste society. People were born into specific social classes; social mobility was not unknown, but it was extremely rare. The main classes were:

AliÃƒÅ »i, the royal suuwop class. This class consisted of the high and lesser chiefs of the realms. They governed with divine power called mana.

Kahuna, the priestly and professional class. Priests conducted religious ceremonies, at the heiau and elsewhere. Professionals included master carpenters and boat builders, chanters, dancers, genealogists and physicians and healers.

MakaÃƒÅ »Ãƒâ€žinana, the commoner class. Commoners farmed, fished and exercised the simpler crafts. They laboured not only for themselves and their families, but to support the chiefs and kahuna.

Kauwa, the outcast or slave class. They are believed to have been war captives, or the descendants of war captives. Marriage between higher castes and the kauwa was strictly forbidden. The kauwa worked for the chiefs and were often used as human sacrifices at the luakini heiau. (They were not the only sacrifices; law-breakers of all castes or defeated political opponents were also acceptable as victims)

The Meiji Restoration accelerated industrialization in Japan, which led to its rise as a military authority by the year 1905, under the slogan of “Enrich the country, strengthen the military” (ÃƒÂ¥¯Ã…â€™ÃƒÂ¥º½ÃƒÂ¥¼·ÃƒÂ¥¦µ, fukoku kyÃƒâ€¦hei).

The Meiji Restoration (ÃƒÂ¦Ã‹Å“Ã…Â½ÃƒÂ¦²»ÃƒÂ§¶­ÃƒÂ¦Ã¢â‚¬â€œ°, Meiji Ishin), also known as the Meiji Ishin, Revolution or Renewal, was a chain of events that restored imperial rule to Japan in 1868. The Restoration led to enormous changes in Japan’s political and social structure, and spanned both the late Edo period (often called Late Tokugawa shogunate) and the beginning of the Meiji Era.

The Meiji oligarchy that formed the government under the rule of the Emperor first introduced measures to consolidate their power against the remnants of the Edo period government, the shogunate, daimyo, and the samurai class.

Finally, in 1871, the daimyo, past and present, were summoned before the Emperor, where it was declared that all domains were now to be returned to the Emperor. The roughly 300 domains (han) were turned into prefectures, each under the control of a state-appointed governor. By 1888, several prefectures had been merged in several steps to reduce their number to 75. The daimyo were promised 1/10 of their fiefs’ income as private income. Later, their debts and payments of samurai stipends were to be taken over by the state.

The oligarchs also endeavoured to abolish the four divisions of society.

Throughout Japan at the time, the samurai numbered 1.9 million. (For comparison, this was more than 10 times the size of the French privileged class before the 1789 French Revolution. Moreover, the samurai in Japan were not merely the lords, but also their higher retainers”people who actually worked.) With each samurai being paid fixed stipends, their upkeep presented a tremendous financial burden, which may have prompted the oligarchs to action. Whatever their true intentions, the oligarchs embarked on another slow and deliberate process to abolish the samurai class. First, in 1873, it was announced that the samurai stipends were to be taxed on a rolling basis. Later, in 1874, the samurai were given the option to convert their stipends into government bonds. Finally, in 1876, this commutation was made compulsory.

To reform the military, the government instituted nationwide conscription in 1873, mandating that every male would serve in the armed forces upon turning 21 for four years; followed by three more years in the reserves. One of the primary differences between the samurai and peasant class was the right to bear arms; this ancient privilege was suddenly extended to every male in the nation. Furthermore, samurai were no longer allowed to walk about town bearing a sword or weapon to show their status as in former times.

This led to a series of riots from disgruntled samurai. One of the major riots was the one led by SaigÃƒâ€¦ Takamori, the Satsuma Rebellion, which eventually turned into a civil war. This rebellion was, however, put down swiftly by the newly formed Imperial Japanese Army, trained in Western tactics and weapons, even though the core of the new army was the Tokyo police force, which was largely composed of former samurai. This sent a strong message to the dissenting samurai that their time was indeed up. There were fewer subsequent samurai uprisings and the distinction became all but a name as the samurai joined the new society. The ideal of samurai military spirit lived on in romanticized form and was often used as propaganda during the early 20th century wars of the Empire of Japan.

However, it is equally true that the majority of samurai were content despite having their status abolished. Many found employment in the government bureaucracy, which resembled an elite class in its own right. The samurai, being better educated than most of the population, became teachers, gun makers, government officials, or military officers. While the formal title of samurai was abolished, the elitist spirit that characterized the samurai class lived on.

The oligarchs also embarked on a series of land reforms. In particular, they legitimized the tenancy system which had been going on during the Tokugawa period. Despite the bakufu’s best efforts to freeze the four classes of society in place, during their rule villagers had begun to lease land out to other farmers, becoming rich in the process. This greatly disrupted the clearly defined class system which the bakufu had envisaged, partly leading to their eventual downfall.

Besides drastic changes to the social structure of Japan, in an attempt to create a strong centralized state defining its national identity, the government established a dominant national dialect that replaced local and regional dialects called hyojungo, which was based on patterns of the Tokyo’s samurai classes that has eventually become the norm in the realms of education, media, government and business.

Industrial growth

The rapid industrialization and modernization of Japan both allowed and required a massive increase in production and infrastructure. Japan built industries such as shipyards, iron smelters, and spinning mills, which were then sold to well-connected entrepreneurs. Consequently, domestic companies became consumers of Western technology and applied it to produce items that would be sold cheaply in the international market. With this, industrial zones grew enormously, and there was massive migration to industrializing centers from the countryside. Industrialization additionally went hand in hand with the development of a national railway system and modern communications.

hoito/hinin are beggar/chorimbo is bum in Japanese “Ã¢â‚¬Å“
all denoting eta/burakumin.

Milton Murayama (born April 10, 1923, Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii) is an American Nisei novelist and playwright. His first novel, All I Asking for Is My Body (1975) is considered a classic novel of the experiences of Japanese Americans in Hawaii before and during World War II.

Murayama was born in Maui, Hawaii to Japanese immigrant parents from Kyushu. When he was about 12, his family moved to a sugar plantation camp at Pu’ukoli’i. This was a company town of several hundred workers and their families that no longer exists. Murayama’s experiences there provided the material for his novels. After graduating from high school in Lahaina in 1941, he attended the University of HawaiÃƒÅ »i,. He served in the Territorial Guard after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, but was abruptly discharged with the other Japanese-Americans. He soon volunteered with military intelligence. As a native speaker of Japanese he was sent to Taiwan as a translator to help facilitate the surrender and repatriation of Japanese troops there.

He returned to Hawaii in 1946. He received his B.A. from the University of HawaiÃƒÅ »i in English and philosophy the following year. He then attended Columbia University under the G.I. Bill, earning a master’s degree in Chinese and Japanese in 1950.

While still at Columbia, he completed the first draft of his first novel, All I Asking for Is My Body. A story (“I’ll Crack Your Head Kotsun”) that became the first chapter of the novel was published in the Arizona Quarterly in 1959. It was reprinted in 1968 in The Spell of Hawaii, an Hawaii literary anthology. All I Asking for was not particularly well received when it was first published in 1975, but when it was reissued by the University of HawaiÃƒÅ »i in 1988 it received critical acclaim. It won an American Book Award that year. It has remained in print ever since, and has become a cult classic. The novel, including the title, is written in modified Pidgin and is considered dialectically authentic while still readable by non-Pidgin readers.

His second novel, Five Years on a Rock (1994) is a prequel to the first novel. It covers the years 1914 to 1935, and All I Asking for goes from 1935 to 1943. Both novels relate the experiences of the family of Oyama Isao and his wife Ito Sawa, immigrants to Hawaii from Japan, and their many children, including sons Toshio and Kiyoshi. Much of the dialog is in the creole used by the Japanese-Hawaiians of the author’s acquaintance. The novels seem to be fictionalized autobiography. The chronologically earlier novel is told from the point of view of Ito Sawa, and the later one from that of her son Kiyoshi.

A third novel in the series, Plantation Boy, was published in 1998. Toshio (Steve) is the narrator. Like the first two novels, it was published by the University of HawaiÃƒÅ »i Press. A fourth novel, Dying in a Strange Land, was published by the University of HawaiÃƒÅ »i Press in 2008.

Milton Murayama’s long-awaited Dying in a Strange Land brings to a close the saga of the Oyama family. Familiar faces from All I Asking For Is My Body, Five Years on a Rock, and Plantation Boy return to advance the story from the years immediately following World War II to the 1980s. After her husband sinks them deep in debt, strong-willed and pragmatic Sawa takes charge of the family. The war ends and her children leave the plantation camp for Honolulu and the Mainland, but Sawa has little time for loneliness or regret. When asked by her neighbors if she misses them, she replies, “They must look for what they want.”

Centered on Hawaii and spanning the time between the close of World War II to the mid-1980s, “Dying in a Strange Land” is 85-year-old Milton Murayama’s fourth and avowed final novel about the travails of the Oyama family.

The Oyamas are Japanese immigrants and their children who have experienced the poverty of Hawaiian sugarcane plantation field labor. In “Dying,” the children”seven brothers and sisters”have escaped the plantation. In doing so, they have rebelled against their conservative parents who want their offspring close to home and under their control.

Murayama’s previous novels move between1914 and the 60s. Their first person narrators alternately narrate “Dying,” giving it three contentious perspectives. They are Kiyo (Kyoshi), Murayama’s alter ego, from “All I Asking for Is My Body” (1975); his mother, the patient and long suffering Sawa, from “Five Years on a Rock” (1994) and Tosh (Toshio), the bitter eldest son, who tells his tale in “Plantation Boy” (1998).

In “All I Asking” Tosh’s parents make him drop out of high school to work in the sugarcane fields to help pay off the family debt of $6,000. They say it is his duty as the eldest son and an obligation he owes them as “oya koko” or filial piety. Unable to join the army like Kiyo because of a deaf ear (the result of his father’s violence), the embittered Tosh takes correspondence courses in drafting with the dream of becoming an architect.

In “Plantation Boy,” Tosh (who changes his name to Steven) achieves the impossible by becoming Hawaii’s first high school dropout to get an architect’s license. In “Dying,” he is a millionaire. Yet he remains astringently angry with his parents, whom he calls the “old futs.” His anger poisons the lives of three generations of Oyamas. His parents have dismissed him as a bad son; yet Tosh builds a house for Sawa and Isao and pays for their trips to the U.S. mainland and Japan.

Sawa had come to Hawaii as Isao Oyama’s picture bride in 1914. Like Isao, she lives out her life torn between Japan and America. As she approaches the close of her life, her outlook remains that of conservative rural Meiji Japanese. But her loyalties are to her adopted country. Like her husband, she hates Japan’s militarist state that led Japan World War II. Isao calls Tojo “baka.”

Isao is a brilliant calligrapher, community problem solver, marriage arranger and poet: a blessing to everyone except his family, which he pushes into debt. A failed fisherman, he dies a poor plantation worker. Sowa, a talented seamstress, keeps the family from ruin. It is Sowa’s narrative that sews together the seemingly loose-ended structure of “Dying.”

Kiyo (who becomes Morris) has been lucky. Service in Army Intelligence during World War II allows him to use the G.I. Bill to study Japanese and Chinese at Columbia University. While in the Army, he wins $6,000 playing craps and pays off the family debt. Yet in “Dying,” his life is troubled. He is plagued by diabetes. Late middle age finds him a frustrated writer collecting rejection slips while saddled with a demanding job with Customs in San Francisco. (He quits smoking because he believes he needs an extra-long life to achieve success.)

Temperamental Kiyo marries twice, both times to white women: first to the brilliant but neurotic Audrey Dutton, and then to the thespian Maud Byrnes who understands his creative needs. At 53, he desperately self-publishes a novel similar to Murayama’s “All I Asking” that wins limited critical acclaim.

Sawa and Isao consider Kiyoshi the good son who will care for them in old age. The warm-hearted Kiyo brings Sawa to live with him in San Francisco after Isao’s death”with disastrous results. Unable to adjust to San Francisco and Kiyo and Maud’s bohemian life, Sawa shuttles between her other children’s homes in California and Washington until her health deteriorates.

As “Dying” engulfs you in the Oyamas’ perennial squabbles over money and honor, you realize that no matter how successful the children of Isao and Sawa are, they are permanently wounded by the privations of plantation life. Yet it is this common heritage that binds the family in joy and grief. At off moments, they still speak to each other in a pidgin mixture of English, Hawaiian and Japanese. Isao and Sawa, who can only effectively communicate in Japanese, live and die nowhere at home.

“Dying” may at first bewilder readers unacquainted with Murayama’s previous novels. But its flashbacks minimize confusions. There’s a glossary in back for frequently used Hawaiian and Japanese words.

One day, while walking in the bamboo forest, an old, childless bamboo cutter called Taketori no Okina (ÃƒÂ§«¹ÃƒÂ¥Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃƒÂ§¿, “the Old Man who Harvests Bamboo”) came across a mysterious, shining stalk of bamboo. After cutting it open, he found inside it a baby the size of his thumb. He rejoiced to find such a beautiful girl and took her home. He and his wife raised her as their own child and named her Kaguya-hime (ÃƒÂ£¹ÃƒÂ£ÃƒÂ£Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã¢â‚¬Å¾ÃƒÂ¥§« “radiant-night princess”). Thereafter, Taketori no Okina found that whenever he cut down a stalk of bamboo, inside he found a small nugget of gold. Soon he became rich, and Kaguya-hime grew from a small baby into a woman of ordinary size and extraordinary beauty. At first, Taketori no Okina tried to keep her away from outsiders, but over time the news of her beauty had spread.

Eventually she revealed that she was not of this world and must return to her people on the Moon.
The emperor who wanted to marry her asked his servants: “Which mountain is the closest place to Heaven?”, to which one replied that the Great Mountain of Suruga Province is the closest place to Heaven. The Emperor ordered his men to take the letter to the summit of the mountain and burn it, with the hope that his message would reach the distant princess. The men were also commanded to burn the pot of elixir of immortality since the Emperor did not desire to live forever without being able to see her. The legend has it that the word immortality (ÃƒÂ¤¸ÃƒÂ¦­», fushi, or fuji) became the name of the mountain, Mount Fuji. It is also said that the kanji for the mountain, ÃƒÂ¥¯Ã…â€™ÃƒÂ¥£«ÃƒÂ¥±± (literally “Mountain Abounding with Warriors”), is derived from the Emperor’s army ascending the slopes of the mountain to carry out his order. It is said that the smoke from the burning still rises to this day. (In the past, Mount Fuji was much more volcanically active than today.)

Thumbelina” (Danish: Tommelise) comes long after the Japan folktale of the little girl in the bamboo. Thumbelina is a literary fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen about a thumb-sized girl and her many adventures before falling in love with a flower-fairy prince just her size. “Thumbelina” is mainly Andersen’s invention, although he did take inspiration from tales of miniature people such as “Tom Thumb.” The tale was first published by C. A. Reitzel on 16 December 1835 in Copenhagen, Denmark with “The Naughty Boy” and “The Traveling Companion” in the second installment of Fairy Tales Told for Children.

The One-Inch Boy (ÃƒÂ¤¸Ã¢â€šÂ¬ÃƒÂ¥¯¸ÃƒÂ¦³¢ÃƒÂ¥¸« Issun-bÃƒâ€¦shi; sometimes translated into English as “Little One Inch”) is the subject of a fairy tale from Japan. This story is older than the tradition of Tom Thumb in English folklore.

Synopsis

The story begins with an old, childless couple who live alone. The old woman wishes for a child, despite her old age, “Please, please let us have a child, no matter how small.” Eventually, a son was born to them. But small indeed was the child”Ã¢â‚¬Å“no larger than a grown man’s fingertip. They named the miniature child Issun-bÃƒâ€¦shi (Issun is a measure of approximately 3 centimeters. BÃƒâ€¦shi means son). The child, despite being incredibly small, is treated well by his parents. One day, the boy realizes he will never grow, so he goes on a trip to seek his place in the world. Fancying himself a miniature samurai, Issun-bÃƒâ€¦shi is given a sewing needle for a sword, a soup bowl for a boat, and chopsticks for oars.

He sails down river to the city, where he petitions for a job with the government and goes to the home of a wealthy daimyo, whose daughter is an attractive princess. He is scorned for his height, but nevertheless given the job of accompanying the princess as her playmate. While they travel together, they are suddenly attacked by an oni, who deals with the pesky boy by swallowing him. The boy defeats the Oni by pricking him from within with his needle/sword. The Oni spits out Issun-boshi and drops the magical Uchide’s Mallet as he runs away. As a reward for his bravery, the princess uses the power of the mallet to grow him to full size. Issun-bÃƒâ€¦shi and the princess remain close companions and eventually wed.

The Crab and the Monkey, also know as Monkey-Crab Battle (ÃƒÂ£¢ÃƒÂ£Ã¢â‚¬Å¡¹ÃƒÂ£¹ÃƒÂ£«ÃƒÂ¥Ã‹â€ ÃƒÂ¦Ã‹â€ ¦, saru kani gassen) or The Quarrel of the Monkey and the Crab, is a Japanese fairy tale. In the story, a sly monkey kills a crab, and is later killed in revenge by the crab’s offspring. Retributive justice is the main theme of the story.

Synopsis

While out walking, a crab finds a rice ball. A sly monkey persuades the crab to trade the rice ball for a persimmon seed. The crab is at first upset, but when she plants and tends the seed a tree grows that supplies abundant fruit. The monkey agrees to climb the tree to pick the fruit for the crab, but gorges himself on the fruit rather than sharing it with the crab. When the crab protests, the monkey hurls hard, unripe fruit at her. The shock of being attacked causes the crab to give birth just before she dies.

The crab’s children seek revenge on the monkey. With the help of several allies “ a chestnut, a millstone, a bee, and a cow pie “ they go to the monkey’s house. The chestnut hides himself on the monkey’s hearth, the bee in the water pail, the cow pie on the dirt floor, and the millstone on the roof. When the monkey returns home he tries to warm himself on the hearth, but the chestnut strikes the monkey so that he burns himself. When the monkey tries to cool his burns at the water bucket, the bee stings him. When the startled monkey tries to run out of the house, the cow pie moves and trips him and the millstone falls from the roof, killing the monkey.

After some time had passed, with Emperor Konoe all the while lavishing all his affection on the beautiful Tamamo-no-Mae, the Emperor suddenly and mysteriously fell ill. He went to many priests and fortune-tellers for answers, but they had none to offer. Finally, an astrologer, Abe no Yasuchika, told the Emperor that Tamamo-no-Mae was the cause of his illness. The astrologer explained that the beautiful young woman was in fact an evil nine-tailed fox (kitsune), who was making the Emperor ill in a devious plot to take the throne. Following this, Tamamo-no-Mae disappeared from the court.

The Emperor ordered Kazusa-no-suke and Miura-no-suke, the most powerful warriors of the day, to hunt and kill the fox. After eluding the hunters for some time, the fox appeared to Miura-no-suke in a dream. Once again in the form of the beautiful Tamamo-no-Mae, the fox prophesied that Miura-no-suke would kill it the next day, and begged for its life. Miura-no-suke refused.

Early the next day, the hunters found the fox on the Plain of Nasu, and Miura-no-suke shot and killed the magical creature with an arrow. The body of the fox became the Sessho-seki, (ÃƒÂ¦®ºÃƒÂ§Ã…Â¸ÃƒÂ§Ã…Â¸³) or Killing Stone, which kills anyone that comes in contact with it. Tamamo-no-Mae’s spirit became Hoji and haunted the stone.

Sessho-seki, Nasu, TochigiHoji is said to have haunted this stone in the Japanese prefecture of Nasu until a Buddhist priest called Genno stopped for a rest near the stone and was threatened by Hoji. Genno performed certain spiritual rituals, and begged the spirit to consider her spiritual salvation, until finally Hoji relented and swore to never haunt the stone again.

Tamamo-no-Mae’s legend forms the basis of both the noh drama Sessho-seki (“The Killing Stone”) and the kabuki play Tamamo-no-Mae (or The Beautiful Fox Witch).

MomotarÃƒâ€¦ came to Earth inside a giant peach, which was found floating down a river by an old, childless woman who was washing clothes there. The woman and her husband discovered the child when they tried to open the peach to eat it. The child explained that he had been sent by Heaven to be their son. The couple named him MomotarÃƒâ€¦, from momo (peach) and tarÃƒâ€¦ (eldest son in the family).

Years later, MomotarÃƒâ€¦ left his parents to fight a band of marauding oni (demons or ogres) on a distant island. En route, MomotarÃƒâ€¦ met and befriended a talking dog, monkey, and pheasant, who agreed to help him in his quest. At the island, MomotarÃƒâ€¦ and his animal friends penetrated the demons’ fort and beat the band of demons into surrendering. MomotarÃƒâ€¦ and his new friends returned home with the demons’ plundered treasure and the demon chief as a captive. MomotarÃƒâ€¦ and his family lived comfortably from then on.

Bunbuku Chagama roughly translates to “happiness bubbling over like a tea pot.” The story tells of a poor man who finds a tanuki caught in a trap. Feeling sorry for the animal, he sets it free. That night, the tanuki comes to the poor man’s house to thank him for his kindness. The tanuki transforms itself into a chagama and tells the man to sell him for money.

The man sells the tanuki-teapot to a monk, who takes it home and, after scrubbing it harshly, sets it over the fire to boil water. Unable to stand the heat, the tanuki teapot sprouts legs and, in its half-transformed state, makes a run for it.

The tanuki returns to the poor man with another idea. The man would set up a “Ã‹Å“roadside attraction’ (a little circus-like setup) and charge admission for people to see a teapot walking a tightrope. The plan works, and each gains something good from the other”the man is no longer poor and the tanuki has a new friend and home.

In a variant of the story, the tanuki-teapot does not run and returns to its transformed state. The shocked monk decides to leave the teapot as an offering to the poor temple where he lives, choosing not to use it for making tea again. The temple eventually becomes famous for its supposed dancing teapot.

Yotsuya Kaidan (ÃƒÂ¥ººÃƒÂ¨°·ÃƒÂ¦Ã¢â€šÂ¬ªÃƒÂ¨«¡), the story of Oiwa and Tamiya Iemon, is a tale of betrayal, murder and ghostly revenge. Arguably the most famous Japanese ghost story of all time, it has been adapted for film over 30 times, and continues to be an influence on Japanese horror today.

The story tapped into people’s fears by bringing the ghosts of Japan out of the temples and aristocrats’ mansions and into the home of common people, the exact type of people who were the audience of such theater.

The Bunsei era was a time of social unrest, and the repressed position of women in society was severe. The exchange of power for powerlessness was something audiences could relate to. Oiwa went from a delicate victim to a powerful avenger, while Tamiya transforms from tormentor to tormented.

Also, Oiwa is much more direct in her vengeance than Okiku, another popular kabuki ghost, and she is much more brutal. This added level of violence thrilled audiences, who were seeking more and more violent forms of entertainment.

In addition, the performance of Yotsuya Kaidan was filled with fantastic special effects, with her ruined face projecting magnificently from an onstage lantern, and her hair falling out in impossible amounts.

Yotsuya Kaidan paired the conventions of kizewamono “raw life play”, which looked at the lives of non-nobles, and kaidanmono “ghost play.”

Ghost of Oiwa

Oiwa is an onryÃƒâ€¦, a ghost who seeks vengeance. Her strong passion for revenge allows her to bridge the gap back to Earth. She shares most of the common traits of this style of Japanese ghost, including the white dress representing the burial kimono she would have worn, the long, ragged hair and white/indigo face that marks a ghost in kabuki theater.

There are specific traits to Oiwa that set her apart physically from other onryo. Most famous is her left eye, which droops down her face due to poison given her by Tamiya. This feature is exaggerated in kabuki performances to give Oiwa a distinct appearance. She is often shown as partially bald, another effect of the poison. In a spectacular scene in the kabuki play, the living Oiwa sits before a mirror and combs her hair, which comes falling out due to the poison. This scene is a subversion of erotically-charged hair combing scenes in kabuki love plays. The hair piles up to tremendous heights, achieved by a stage hand who sits under the stage and pushes more and more hair up through the floor while Oiwa is combing.

Oiwa is supposedly buried at a temple, Myogyo-ji, in Sugamo, a neighborhood of Tokyo. The date of her death is listed as February 22, 1636. Several productions of Yotsuya Kaidan, including television and movie adaptations, have reported mysterious accidents, injuries and even deaths. Prior to staging an adaptation of Yotsuya Kaidan it is now a tradition for the principal actors and the director to make a pilgrimage to Oiwa’s grave and ask her permission and blessing for their production. This is considered especially important of the actor assuming the role of Oiwa.

Many of Oiwa’s traits are standard to the onryÃƒâ€¦, including her costume of white burial kimono, white and indigo face, and long, disheveled hair.

Tamiya Iemon, a ronin, is having a heated exchange with his father-in-law, Yotsuya, concerning Yotsuya’s daughter Oiwa. After it is suggested by Yotsuya that Tamiya and his daughter should separate, the ronin becomes enraged and murders Yotsuya. The next scene focuses on the character Naosuke who is sexually obsessed with Oiwa’s sister, the prostitute Osode, despite her being already married to another man, Yomoshichi. As this scene begins, Naosuke is at the local brothel making romantic advances toward Osode when Yomoshichi and the brothel’s owner enter. Unable to pay a fee demanded by the owner, Naosuke is mocked by both Yomoshichi and Osode and forcibly removed. Shortly thereafter an intoxicated Naosuke murders Okuda, his former master, whom he mistakes for Yomoshichi. This is implied to occur at the precise time of the slaying of Yotsuya. It is at this point that Tamiya and Naosuke unite and conspire to mislead sisters Oiwa and Osode into believing that they will exact revenge on the persons responsible for these sisters’ father’s death. In return Osode agrees to marry Naosuke.

Outsider vixen named Oume has fallen in love with Tamiya. However, believing herself to be less attractive than Oiwa, she doesn’t think Tamiya will ever want to become her husband. Sympathizing with Oume’s plight, Oume’s family scheme to have Oiwa disfigured by sending her a topical poison disguised as a facial cream. Oiwa, unbeknown to her at the time, is instantly scarred by the cream when she applies it. Upon seeing his wife’s ghastly new countenance, Tamiya decides he can no longer remain with her. He asks the brothel owner to rape Oiwa so that Tamiya will have an honorable basis for divorce. The brothel owner cannot bring himself to do this so, instead, he simply shows Oiwa her reflection in a mirror. Realizing that she has been deceived, Oiwa becomes hysterical and, picking up a sword, runs towards the door. The brothel owner moves to grab her but Oiwa, attempting to evade him, accidentally punctures her own throat with the sword’s tip. As she lies bleeding to death before the stunned brothel owner, she curses her husband Tamiya’s name. Not long after Oiwa’s death, Tamiya becomes engaged to Oume. But Tamiya then is tricked by Oiwa’s ghost into slaying both Oume and her kin on the night of the wedding.

Naosuke arrives in disguise as Gonbei, an eel vendor, and blackmails Tamiya into handing over a valuable document. On the embankment above their fishing canal Tamiya, Yomoshichi and Naosuke appear to fumble as they struggle for possession of a note which passes from hand to hand in the darkness.

Naosuke pressures Osode to consummate their marriage, to which she seems oddly adverse. Yomoshichi appears and accuses Osode of adultery. Osode resigns herself to death in atonement and convinces Naosuke and Yomoshichi that they should kill her. She leaves a farewell note from which Naosuke learns that Osode was, in fact, his own younger sister. For the shame of this, as well as for the killing of his former master, Naosuke commits suicide.

Tamiya, still haunted by the ghost of Oiwa, flees to an isolated mountain retreat. There he rapidly descends into madness as his dreams and reality begin to merge and Oiwa’s haunting intensifies. The act closes with Yomoshichi slaying Tamiya out of both vengeance [for Osode’s leaving Yomoshichi for
Naosuke] and compassion.

Historical basis

Nanboku incorporated two sensational and real-life murders into Yotsuya Kaidan, combining fact and fiction in a manner that resonated with audiences. The first involved two servants who had murdered their respective masters. They were caught and executed on the same day. The second murder was from a samurai who discovered his concubine was having an affair with a servant. The samurai had the faithless concubine and servant nailed to a wooden board and thrown into the Kanda River.

An old childless couple loved their dog. One day, it dug in the garden, and they found a box of gold pieces there. A neighbor thought the dog must be able to find treasure, and managed to borrow the dog. When it dug in his garden, there were only bones, and he killed it. He told the couple that the dog had just dropped dead. They grieved and buried it under the fig tree where they had found the treasure. One night, the dog’s master dreamed that the dog told him to chop down the tree and make a mortar from it. He told his wife, who said they must do as the dog asked. When they did, the rice put into the mortar turned into gold. The neighbor borrowed it, but the rice turned to foul-smelling berries, and he and his wife smashed and burned the mortar.

That night, in a dream, the dog told his master to take the ashes and sprinkle them on certain cherry trees. When he did, the cherry trees came into bloom, and the Daimyo, passing by, marveled and gave him many gifts. The neighbor tried to do the same, but the ashes blew into the Daimyo’s eyes, so he threw him into prison; when he was let out, his village would not let him live there anymore, and he could not, with his wicked ways, find a new home.

Kachi-Kachi Yama (Japanese: ÃƒÂ£¹ÃƒÂ£¡ÃƒÂ£¹ÃƒÂ£¡ÃƒÂ¥±±, kachi-kachi being an onomatopoeia of the sound a fire makes and yama meaning “mountain”, roughly translates to “Fire-Crackle Mountain”), is one of the few Japanese folktales in which a tanuki is the villain, rather than the boisterous and well-endowed alcoholic.

The trouble-making tanuki [raccoon]

As the story goes, a man caught a troublesome tanuki in his fields, and tied it to a tree to kill and cook it later. When the man left for town, the tanuki cried and begged the man’s wife to set him free, promising never to bother the fields again. After much convincing, the wife set the animal free, only to have it turn on her and kill her. But instead of just running off, the tanuki planned a foul trick.

Using its shapeshifting abilities, the tanuki took on the form of the wife and cooked up a soup, using the dead woman’s flesh. When the man came home, the tanuki served him the soup. After the meal, the man remarked that the soup was good, and the tanuki, shifting back to his normal self, cried out mockingly, “It was me that you were going to eat, but you’ve just eaten your own wife instead!” With that, the cruel creature ran off, leaving the poor man in shock and horrible grief.

Enter the rabbit

It just so happened that the unfortunate couple had been good friends with a rabbit that lived nearby. When the rabbit heard about what happened, he immediately came to the man and told him, “I’ll avenge the death of your wife for you!” So the rabbit set out and soon found the villainous tanuki. Pretending to befriend the tanuki, the rabbit did all sorts of unpleasant things to him, from dropping a bee’s nest on him to “Ã‹Å“treating’ the stings with a peppery poultice that burned.

The title of the story comes from the especially painful trick that the rabbit played. The tanuki was carrying a heavy load of kindling on his back to make a campfire for the night. He was so burdened that he did not immediately notice when the rabbit set fire to the kindling. Soon, the crackling sound reached his ears.

“What is that sound?” the tanuki asked.

“It is Kachi-Kachi Yama” the rabbit replied. “We are not far from it, so it is no surprise that you can hear it!”

Eventually, the fire reached the tanuki’s back, burning him badly, but without killing him.

Boat of mud

After all the horrible things that the rabbit had put him through, the tanuki challenged the rabbit to a life or death contest to prove who was the better creature. They were each to build a boat, and race across a lake in them. The rabbit carved his boat out of a fallen tree trunk, but the foolish tanuki fashioned his out of mud.

The two competitors each got off to a great start, but as they approached the middle of the lake, the tanuki’s mud boat dissolved and came apart. As the tanuki was struggling to stay afloat, the rabbit proclaimed that he was a friend of the human couple, and that this was the tanuki’s punishment for his horrible deeds. His boat gone, the tanuki drowned.

The folklore of Japan is heavily influenced by both Shinto and Buddhism, the two primary religions in the country. It often involves humorous or bizarre characters and situations and also includes an assortment of supernatural beings, such as bodhisattva, kami (gods and revered spirits), yÃƒâ€¦kai (monster-spirits) (such as oni, kappa, and tengu), yÃƒâ€¦«rei (ghosts), dragons, and animals with supernatural powers such as the kitsune (fox), tanuki (raccoon), mujina (badger), and bakeneko (transforming cat), as well as sacred objects and possessed objects.

The story of KintarÃƒâ€¦, the superhuman Golden Boy.
The story of MomotarÃƒâ€¦, the oni-slaying Peach Boy.
The story of Urashima TarÃƒâ€¦, who rescued a turtle and visited the bottom of the sea.
The story of Issun-bÃƒâ€¦shi, the One-inch Boy.
The story of Tokoyo, a girl who reclaimed the honor of her samurai father.
Bunbuku Chagama, the story of a teakettle which is actually a shape-changing tanuki.
The story of the wicked fox-woman Tamamo-no-Mae.
Shita-kiri Suzume, the story of the tongue-cut sparrow.
The story of the vengeful Kiyohime, who became a dragon.
BanchÃƒâ€¦ Sarayashiki, the ghost story of Okiku and the Nine Plates.
Yotsuya Kaidan, the ghost story of Oiwa.
Hanasaka Jiisan, the story of the old man that made the flowers bloom
The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter, about a mysterious girl called Kaguya-hime who is said to be from the capital of the moon.

The folklore of Japan has been influenced by foreign literature as well as the kind of spirit worship prevalent all throughout prehistoric Asia. Some stories of ancient India were influential in shaping Japanese stories by providing them with materials. Indian materials were greatly modified and adapted in such a way as would appeal to the sensibilities of common people of Japan in general, transmitted through China and Korea.

The monkey stories of Japanese folklore have been influenced both by the Sanskrit epic Ramayana and the Chinese classic The Journey to the West. The stories mentioned in the Buddhist Jataka tales appear in a modified form throughout the Japanese collection of popular stories.

In the middle years of the twentieth century storytellers would often travel from town to town telling these stories with special paper illustrations called kamishibai.

Japanese mythology is a system of beliefs that embraces Shinto and Buddhist traditions as well as agriculture-based folk religion. The Shinto pantheon alone consists of an uncountable number of kami (Japanese for “gods” or “spirits”).

Mainstream Japanese myths, as generally recognized today, are based on the Kojiki, Nihon Shoki and some complementary books. The Kojiki or “Record of Ancient Matters” is the oldest recognized book of myths, legends and history of Japan. The Shintoshu explains origins of Japanese deities from a Buddhist perspective while the Hotsuma Tsutae records a substantially different version of mythology.

Amaterasu, the powerful sun goddess of Japan, is the most well-known deity of Japanese mythology. Her feuding with her uncontrollable brother Susanoo, however, is equally infamous and appears in several tales. One story tells of Susanoo’s wicked behavior toward Izanagi. Izanagi, tired of Susanoo’s repeated complaints, banished him to Yomi. Susanoo grudgingly acquiesced, but had to attend to some unfinished business first. He went to Takamagahara (“heaven”) to bid farewell to his sister, Amaterasu. Amaterasu knew her unpredictable brother did not have any good intentions in mind and prepared for battle. “For what purpose do you come here?”, asked Amaterasu. “To say farewell,” answered Susanoo.

But she did not believe him and requested a contest for proof of his good faith. A challenge was set as to who could bring forth more noble and divine children. Amaterasu made three women from Susanoo’s sword, while Susanoo made five men from Amaterasu’s ornament chain. Amaterasu claimed the title to the five men made from her belongings. Therefore, the three women were attributed to Susanoo.

Both gods declared themselves to be victorious. Amaterasu’s insistence in her claim drove Susanoo to violent campaigns that reached their climax when he hurled a half-flayed pony (an animal sacred to Amaterasu) into Amatarasu’s weaving hall, causing the death of one of her attendants. Amaterasu, angered by the display, fled and hid in the cave called Iwayado. As the sun goddess disappeared into the cave, darkness covered the world.

All the gods and goddesses in their turn strove to coax Amaterasu out of the cave, but she ignored them all. Finally, the kami of merriment, Ame-no-Uzume, hatched a plan. She placed a large bronze mirror on a tree, facing Amaterasu’s cave. Then, Uzume clothed herself in flowers and leaves, overturned a washtub and began to dance on it, drumming the tub with her feet. Finally, Uzume shed the leaves and flowers and danced naked. All the male gods roared with laughter, and Amaterasu became curious. When she peeked outside from her long stay in the dark, a ray of light called “dawn” escaped and Amaterasu was dazzled by the beautiful goddess she saw, this being her own reflection in the mirror. The god Ameno-Tajikarawo pulled her from the cave and it was sealed with a shimenawa. Surrounded by merriment, Amaterasu’s depression disappeared and she agreed to return her light to the world. Uzume was from then on known as the kami of dawn as well as mirth.

The Thurstons were the 1st missionaries in Hawai’i 1820. Their proprietary status, being the 1st missionaries, resulted in their grandson, “entitled” demagogue Lorrin Thurston 1857-1931` Their great-great-grandson is Twigg-Smith, Advertiser publisher.

On the other hand, Henry Baldwin’s missionary parents came to Hawai’i in 1831 with the Fourth Company of American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions. Their ship also carried divine altruist Sheldon Dibble [alter ego to our greatest Hawaiian laureates].
Henry Baldwin 1842″Ã¢â‚¬Å“1911 went on to become among our most beloved missionary descendants. Entitled egomaniac he was not. Something which genesis descendant Thurston was consumed by. God has no use for pride, per Rev. Dibble/Henry Baldwin.

From the London Missionary Society April 15, 1822 on Prince Regent from England:
Rev. William Ellis (1794″Ã¢â‚¬Å“1872) returned in 1823, toured and published book

Second ABCFM company arrived April 23, 1823 on the Thames from New Haven:
Rev. Charles Samuel Stewart, brought Betsey Stockton (1798″Ã¢â‚¬Å“1865) first African American and single woman missionary
Mr. & Mrs. Joseph Goodrich founded the Hilo Station
Clarissa Lyman and Rev. William Richards (1793″Ã¢â‚¬Å“1847)
Elizabeth Edwards and Rev. Artemas Bishop [no relation to Charles Bishop of Bishop Estate]
Louisa Everst and James Ely founded Kealakekua Church

Fifth ABCFM company arrived May 17, 1832 on the Averick from Boston:
Rev. William P. Alexander, whose son founded Alexander & Baldwin [w/Henry Baldwin]
Rev. Cochran Forbes (1805″Ã¢â‚¬Å“1880) founder of Kealakekua Church in 1833
Rebecca Howard and Rev. Harvey Rexford Hitchcock (1800″Ã¢â‚¬Å“1855) founded first church on MolokaÃƒÅ »i island
Sarah Joiner and Rev. David Belden Lyman (1803″Ã¢â‚¬Å“1868) founded the Hilo Boarding School
Betsy Curtis and Rev. Lorenzo Lyons (1807″Ã¢â‚¬Å“1886) built Imiola Church in Waimea, Hawaii County, Hawaii
Rev. Ephraim Spaulding (1802″Ã¢â‚¬Å“1840) built house at WaineÃƒÅ »e Church

Seventh ABCFM company arrived June 6, 1835 on the Hellespont:
Fidelia Church and Rev. Titus Coan (1808″Ã¢â‚¬Å“1881) first pastor of Haili Church in Hilo. Our greatest volcanologist before the word was coined.

Ninth ABCFM company arrived May 21, 1841 on the Gloucester:
Ellen Mariner Howell and Rev. Elias Bond (1813″Ã¢â‚¬Å“1896) founded Kalahikiola Church and Kohala Seminary
Rev. Daniel Dole (1808″Ã¢â‚¬Å“1878) founded of Punahou School; son Sanford B. Dole was president of the Republic of Hawaii
Rev. John Davis Paris (1809″Ã¢â‚¬Å“1892) founded Kahikolu Church and Hale Halawai O Holualoa

Tenth ABCFM company arrived September 24, 1842 on the Sarah Abagail from Boston:
Teacher Millicent Knapp (1816″Ã¢â‚¬Å“1891) and physician James William Smith (1810″Ã¢â‚¬Å“1887), parents of William Owen Smith (1848″Ã¢â‚¬Å“1929)

Eleventh ABCFM company arrived July 15, 1844 on the Globe from Boston:
Julia Sherman Mills and Samuel Chenery Damon (1815″Ã¢â‚¬Å“1885) publisher of The Friend, parents of Samuel Mills Damon

Twelfth ABCFM company arrived February 26, 1848.

Arrived 1854 intended for Micronesia on the Chaica:
Jane Stobie (1827″Ã¢â‚¬Å“1904) and William Cornelius Shipman (1824″Ã¢â‚¬Å“1861)

The Hawai’i mission was cut off from its parent board based on self-reliance by 1869. The founding of the ABCFM is associated with the Second Great Awakening. Congregationalist in origin, the American Board supported missions by Presbyterian (1812″Ã¢â‚¬Å“1870), Dutch-Reformed (1819″Ã¢â‚¬Å“1857) and other denominational members.

Early missions

The first five missionaries were sent overseas in 1812. Between 1812 and 1840, representatives of the ABCFM went to the following people and places: Tennessee to the Cherokee people, India (the Bombay a

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Curtis Narimatsu

Pascal Boyer argues that while there is a wide array of supernatural concepts found around the world, in general, supernatural beings tend to behave much like people. The construction of gods and spirits like persons is one of the best known traits of religion. He cites examples from Greek Mythology, which is, in his opinion, more like a modern soap opera than other religious systems. Bertrand du Castel and Timothy Jurgensen demonstrate through formalization that Boyer’s explanatory model matches physics’ epistemology in positing not directly observable entities as intermediaries. Anthropologist Stewart Guthrie contends that people project human features onto non-human aspects of the world because it makes those aspects more familiar. Sigmund Freud also suggested that god concepts are projections of one’s father.

Likewise, ÃƒÆ’°mile Durkheim was one of the earliest to suggest that gods represent an extension of human social life to include supernatural beings. In line with this reasoning, psychologist Matt Rossano contends that when humans began living in larger groups, they may have created gods as a means of enforcing morality. In small groups, morality can be enforced by social forces such as gossip or reputation. However it is much harder to enforce morality using social forces in much larger groups. He indicates that by including ever watchful gods and spirits, humans discovered an effective strategy for restraining selfishness and building more cooperative groups.

The Name of God written in Arabic calligraphy by 17th century Ottoman artist HÃƒÆ’¢fÃƒâ€ž±z Osman. In Islam, it is considered a sin to anthropomorphize God. Some writers such as Karen Armstrong believe that the concept of monotheism sees a gradual development out of notions of henotheism and monolatrism. In the Ancient Near East, each city had a local patron deity, such as Shamash at Larsa or Sin at Ur. The earliest known claims of global supremacy of a specific god date to the Late Bronze Age, with Akhenaten’s Great Hymn to the Aten, and, depending on dating issues, Zoroaster’s Gathas to Ahura Mazda. Currents of monism or monotheism emerge in Vedic India in the same period, with e.g. the Nasadiya Sukta. Philosophical monotheism and the associated concept of absolute good and evil emerges in Classical Antiquity, notably with Plato (c.f. Euthyphro dilemma), elaborated into the idea of The One in Neoplatonism.

According to The Oxford Companion To World Mythology, “The lack of cohesion among early Hebrews made monotheism “Ã¢â‚¬Å“ even monolatry, the exclusive worship of one god among many “Ã¢â‚¬Å“ an impossibility”¦And even then it can be argued that the firm establishment of monotheism in Judaism required the rabbinical or Talmudic process of the first century B.C.E. to the sixth century C.E.” In Islamic theology, a person who spontaneously “discovers” monotheism is called a ÃƒÂ¡¸¥anÃƒâ€ž«f, the original ÃƒÂ¡¸¥anÃƒâ€ž«f being Abraham.

Henotheism and monolatry
Henotheism is closely related to the theistic concept of monolatry, which is also the worship of one god among many. The primary difference between the two is that Henotheism is the worship of one god, not precluding the existence of others who may also be worthy of praise, while Monolatry is the worship of one god who alone is worthy of worship, though other gods are known to exist.

Natalie’s concern for her daughters, from the very beginning, is that they don’t grow up making decisions based on fear. Jimmy is someone to fear, and so how Veronica learns to deal with him might inform how she learns to deal with the bigger, abstract fears “Ã¢â‚¬Å“ fear of failing, of disappointing others, of loneliness, of too much dependence on her kind boyfriend. I think bravery is the biggest gift Natalie gives Veronica even when her own life is messed up “Ã¢â‚¬Å“ even while she’s falling. Actually it’s not really an “Ã‹Å“even while.’ It’s a “Ã‹Å“because.’ Natalie has lost so much that she’s fearless. By the time she’s lost everything, she’s not afraid of Jimmy, or anything, and that’s good for Veronica to see.

Sempai’s concern for his progeny, from the very beginning, is that they don’t grow up making decisions based on fear. Our proper society pundits are folks to fear, and so how others learn to deal with them might inform how Sempai learns to deal with the bigger, abstract fears “Ã¢â‚¬Å“ fear of failing, of disappointing others, of loneliness, of too much dependence on his kind WIC [woman in charge 🙂 ]. I think bravery is the biggest gift Sempai gives others even when his own life might be messed up “Ã¢â‚¬Å“ even while he’s falling. Actually it’s not really an “Ã‹Å“even while.’ It’s a “Ã‹Å“because.’ Sempai has lost so much that he’s fearless. By the time he’s lost everything, he’s not afraid of our puritan pundits, or anything, and that’s good for others to see.

A long time had passed [300 yrs.] while Urashima was at Otohime’s palace, and Otohime [Princess] had stored his running “old age” away in the Tamatebako/origami box, which Urashima Taro released by accident. He turned into an old bag of bones. Point is that self-discipline/control [Asian stoicism/ascetism] count for everything in nature, such that disobedience to the eternal order of things [time travel] results in the ravages of aging. Ergo, don’t look a gift horse in the mouth. Savor your moment in time/space, be a happy hedonist.

The feeling that one was “Ã‹Å“born in the wrong time’ we call malchronia. This is distinct from mere nostalgia, in that it may generate the longing to transcend the temporal present in favor of a time of which one has had no experience, or even a timeless state of being. Implicit in malchronetic longing is the rejection of one’s experience of one’s own time, making it a revolutionary and utopian inclination. In this article we examine two dominant strategies”primitive weapons in the war on time, really”that have been developed in the hopes of delivering individuals to a future beyond the reach of their natural life spans: cryonics [deep freeze] and bionics [organ replacement].

Prometheus, Noah, and H. G. Wells

But neither Rip Van Winkle nor Urashima Taro chose to time travel; it simply happened to them in the natural course of conducting their ordinary mortal affairs. It is a hunting trip gone awry that brings Rip into contact with the mischievous gnomes, and it is during a fishing excursion that Taro is approached by the enchanted turtle. Each man is a victim, it would seem, of bad moral luck, as he goes about his day-to-day business. This is an important observation to make here, as we are particularly interested in examining a very different strain of time traveler. We wish to concentrate on figures who willfully pursue the option of temporal flight over remaining in a present which they find to be painful and ultimately dissatisfying”figures that, in type, resemble H. G. Wells’ Time Traveler from his novel The Time Machine.

Such malchronetic agents are in the tradition of Prometheus (the Titan in Greek mythology who stole fire from the gods for the benefit of humankind). They defy powerful forces (the so-called natural order and time’s place in it) and risk terrible punishments (typically, their own annihilation through stranding or disappearance in time). These fictional figures are confronted with an ugly present, yet nevertheless dare to imagine a different time, a better time even; in this way, would-be time travelers constitute a subversive, utopian archetype. Like the early scientists in any emergent field of study, they grope in the darkness for answers to barely articulated questions. Or, conversely, they may be led, like the biblical Noah, by mysterious visions of apocalypse and the means by which to escape the foretold annihilation. But regardless of whether the source of dissatisfaction with the present is internally or externally suggested, once it has been accepted there can be no step backwards for malchronetic agents, and formulating a method to cheat time becomes their central occupation from that point onward; whether that is expressed in ark-building or solitary cogitation will be an agent-specific affair.

One might fairly ask why we consider together figures such as Noah and Prometheus, neither of whom are conventionally interpreted as time-travelers, in the same breath as true time-travelers. Partially this is due to the suggestions of both H. G. Wells and his critics. Wells’ All Aboard for Ararat features a latter-day descendant of Noah in a reprise of the familiar role of humanity’s savior, while Patrick Parrinder makes specific reference to Prometheus as a figure analogous to Wells’ Time Traveler. But more importantly, we make these associations because of the distinct methodologies both Noah and Prometheus employ in their quests to achieve their ends, which have, as a distinct feature, some time-cheating effect. For Noah, enduring the passage of time allows for a transition to a better state of affairs. For Prometheus, stealing fire for man brings the future closer for all of humankind. In other words, through the employment of technology, the cultural practices of humanity are irrevocably altered: the future becomes now, and thus the old order, the hated former “Ã‹Å“now’, is forever vanquished.

Malchronetic agent President Obama is in the tradition of Prometheus (the Titan in Greek mythology who stole fire from the gods for the benefit of humankind). President Obama defies powerful forces (the so-called natural order and time’s place in it) and risks terrible punishments (typically, one’s own annihilation through stranding or disappearance in time). This mythic figure is confronted with an ugly present, yet nevertheless dares to imagine a different time, a better time even; in this way, would-be time travelers constitute a subversive, utopian archetype. Like the early scientists in any emergent field of study, they grope in the darkness for answers to barely articulated questions. Or, conversely, they may be led, like the biblical Noah, by mysterious visions of apocalypse and the means by which to escape the foretold annihilation. But regardless of whether the source of dissatisfaction with the present is internally or externally suggested, once it has been accepted there can be no step backwards for malchronetic agents, and formulating a method to control time becomes their central occupation from that point onward; whether that is expressed in ark-building or solitary cogitation will be an agent-specific affair.

One might fairly ask why we consider together figures such as Noah, Prometheus, or even President Obama, none of whom is conventionally interpreted as time-travelers, in the same breath as true time-travelers. Partially this is due to the suggestions of both H. G. Wells and his critics. H.G.’s “All Aboard for Ararat” features a latter-day descendant of Noah in a reprise of the familiar role of humanity’s savior, while Patrick Parrinder makes specific reference to Prometheus as a figure analogous to Wells’ Time Traveler. But more importantly, we make these associations because of the distinct methodologies both Noah and Prometheus employ in their quests to achieve their ends, which have, as a distinct feature, some time-controlling effect. For Noah, enduring the passage of time allows for a transition to a better state of affairs. For Prometheus, stealing fire for man brings the future closer for all of humankind. In other words, through the employment of technology, the cultural practices of humanity are irrevocably altered: the future becomes now, and thus the old order, the hated former “Ã‹Å“now’, is forever vanquished. And just the same for President Obama, fast forwarding to the end of his term of office, be it 2012 or 2016, allows for a transition to a better state of affairs a la Noah,
or transcending our current malaise a la the white hot fire of Prometheus.

And like the point about Urashima Taro, self-discipline/control [Asian stoicism/ascetism]/
equanimity count for everything, such that disobedience to the eternal order of things [time travel for Urashima] results in the ravages/repentance of one’s impatience.

The practical/sensible way for President Obama to speed up time travel where the future becomes now, and thus the old order, the hated former “Ã‹Å“now’, is forever vanquished, is to remove our troops from Afghanistan a la Soviet withdrawal 1987, which took a year and a half.

Sempai would second/affirm such direction, Sempai
a time traveler himself. Ai!

In ancient days there lived in a remote part of Japan a man and his wife, and they were blessed with a little girl, who was the pet and idol of her parents. On one occasion the man was called away on business in distant Kyoto. Before he went he told his daughter that if she were good and dutiful to her mother he would bring her back a present she would prize very highly. Then the good man took his departure, mother and daughter watching him go.
At last he returned to his home, and after his wife and child had taken off his large hat and sandals he sat down upon the white mats and opened a bamboo basket, watching the eager gaze of his little child. He took out a wonderful doll and a lacquer box of cakes and put them into her outstretched hands. Once more he dived into his basket, and presented his wife with a metal mirror. Its convex surface shone brightly, while upon its back there was a design of pine trees and storks.

The good man’s wife had never seen a mirror before, and on gazing into it she was under the impression that another woman looked out upon her as she gazed with growing wonder. Her husband explained the mystery and bade her take great care of the mirror.

Not long after this happy homecoming and distribution of presents the woman became very ill. Just before she died she called to her little daughter, and said: “Dear child, when I am dead take every care of your father. You will miss me when I have left you. But take this mirror, and when you feel most lonely look into it and you will always see me.” Having said these words she passed away.

In due time the man married again, and his wife was not at all kind to her stepdaughter. But the little one, remembering her mother’s words, would retire to a corner and eagerly look into the mirror, where it seemed to her that she saw her dear mother’s face, not drawn in pain as she had seen it on her deathbed, but young and beautiful.

One day this child’s stepmother chanced to see her crouching in a corner over an object she could not quite see, murmuring to herself. This ignorant woman, who detested the child and believed that her stepdaughter detested her in return, fancied that this little one was performing some strange magical art”Ã¢â‚¬Å“perhaps making an image and sticking pins into it. Full of these notions, the stepmother went to her husband and told him that his wicked child was doing her best to kill her by witchcraft.

When the master of the house had listened to this extraordinary recital he went straight to his daughter’s room. He took her by surprise, and immediately the girl saw him she slipped the mirror into her sleeve. For the first time her doting father grew angry, and he feared that there was, after all, truth in what his wife had told him, and he repeated her tale forthwith.

When his daughter had heard this unjust accusation she was amazed at her father’s words, and she told him that she loved him far too well ever to attempt or wish to kill his wife, who she knew was dear to him.

“What have you hidden in your sleeve?” said her father, only half convinced and still much puzzled.

“The mirror you gave my mother, and which she on her deathbed gave to me. Every time I look into its shining surface I see the face of my dear mother, young and beautiful. When my heart aches”Ã¢â‚¬Å“and oh! it has ached so much lately”Ã¢â‚¬Å“I take out the mirror, and mother’s face, with sweet, kind smile, brings me peace, and helps me to bear hard words and cross looks.”

Then the man understood and loved his child the more for her filial piety. Even the girl’s stepmother, when she knew what had really taken place, was ashamed and asked forgiveness. And this child, who believed she had seen her mother’s face in the mirror, forgave, and trouble forever departed from the home.
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The Tongue-Cut Sparrow

Once upon a time there lived an old man and an old woman. The old man, who had a kind heart, kept a young sparrow, which he tenderly nurtured. But the dame was a cross-grained old thing; and one day, when the sparrow had pecked at some paste with which she was going to starch her linen, she flew into a great rage, and cut the sparrow’s tongue and let it loose.
When the old man came home from the hills and found that the bird had flown, he asked what had become of it; so the old woman answered that she had cut its tongue and let it go, because it had stolen her starching-paste. Now the old man, hearing this cruel tale, was sorely grieved, and thought to himself: “Alas! Where can my bird be gone? Poor thing! Poor little tongue-cut sparrow! Where is your home now?” and he wandered far and wide, seeking for his pet, and crying: “Mr. Sparrow! Mr. Sparrow! Where are you living?”

One day, at the foot of a certain mountain, the old man fell in with the lost bird; and when they had congratulated one another on their mutual safety, the sparrow led the old man to his home, and, having introduced him to his wife and chicks, set before him all sorts of dainties, and entertained him hospitably.

“Please partake of our humble fare,” said the sparrow. Poor as it is, you are very welcome.”

“What a polite sparrow!” answered the old man, who remained for a long time as the sparrow’s guest, and was daily feasted right royally. At last the old man said that he must take his leave and return home; and the bird, offering him two wicker baskets, begged him to carry them with him as a parting present. One of the baskets was heavy, and the other was light; so the old man, saying that as he was feeble and stricken in years he would only accept the light one, shouldered it, and trudged off home, leaving the sparrow family disconsolate at parting from him.

When the old man got home, the dame grew very angry, and began to scold him saying: “Well, and pray where have you been this many a day? A pretty thing, indeed, to be gadding about at your time of life!”

“Oh!” replied he, “I have been on a visit to the sparrows; and when I came away, they gave me this wicker basket as a parting gift.” Then they opened the basket to see what was inside, and, lo and behold, it was full of gold and silver and precious things. When the old woman, who was as greedy as she was cross, saw all the riches displayed before her, she changed her scolding strain, and could not contain herself for joy.

“I’ll go and call upon the sparrows, too,” said she, “and get a pretty present.” So she asked the old man the way to the sparrows’ house, and set forth on her journey.

Following his direction, she at last met the tongue-cut sparrow, and exclaimed: “Well met! Well met, Mr. Sparrow! I have been looking forward to the pleasure of seeing you.” So she tried to flatter and cajole the sparrow by soft speeches.

The bird could not but invite the dame to its home; but it took no pains to feast her, and said nothing about a parting gift. She, however, was not to be put off; so she asked for something to carry away with her in remembrance of her visit. The sparrow accordingly produced two baskets, as before, and the greedy old woman, choosing the heavier of the two, carried it off with her. But when she opened the basket to see what was inside, all sorts of hobgoblins and elves sprang out of it, and began to torment her.

But the old man adopted a son, and his family grew rich and prosperous. What a happy old man!
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A Woman and the Bell of Miidera

In the ancient monastery of Miidera there was a great bronze bell. It rang out every morning and evening, a clear, rich note, and its surface shone like sparkling dew. The priests would not allow any woman to strike it, because they thought that such an action would pollute and dull the metal, as well as bring calamity upon them.
When a certain pretty woman who lived in Kyoto heard this, she grew extremely inquisitive, and at last, unable to restrain her curiosity, she said: “I will go and see this wonderful bell of Miidera. I will make it send forth a soft note, and in its shining surface, bigger and brighter than a thousand mirrors, I will paint and powder my face and dress my hair.”

At length this vain and irreverent woman reached the belfry in which the great bell was suspended, at a time when all were absorbed in their sacred duties. She looked into the gleaming bell and saw her pretty eyes, flushed cheeks, and laughing dimples. Presently she stretched forth her little fingers, lightly touched the shining metal, and prayed that she might have as great and splendid a mirror for her own. When the bell felt this woman’s fingers, the bronze that she touched shrank, leaving a little hollow, and losing at the same time all its exquisite polish.
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Though such folk tales are sexist, here is a gender
neutral one “Ã¢â‚¬Å“

The Stonecutter

Once upon a time there lived a stonecutter, who went every day to a great rock in the side of a big mountain and cut out slabs for gravestones or for houses. He understood very well the kinds of stones wanted for the different purposes, and as he was a careful workman he had plenty of customers. For a long time he was quite happy and contented, and asked for nothing better than what he had.
Now in the mountain dwelt a spirit which now and then appeared to men, and helped them in many ways to become rich and prosperous. The stonecutter, however, had never seen this spirit, and only shook his head, with an unbelieving air, when anyone spoke of it. But a time was coming when he learned to change his opinion.

One day the stonecutter carried a gravestone to the house of a rich man, and saw there all sorts of beautiful things, of which he had never even dreamed. Suddenly his daily work seemed to grow harder and heavier, and he said to himself: “Oh, if only I were a rich man, and could sleep in a bed with silken curtains and golden tassels, how happy I should be!”

And a voice answered him: “Your wish is heard; a rich man you shall be!”

At the sound of the voice the stonecutter looked around, but could see nobody. He thought it was all his fancy, and picked up his tools and went home, for he did not feel inclined to do any more work that day. But when he reached the little house where he lived, he stood still with amazement, for instead of his wooden hut was a stately palace filled with splendid furniture, and most splendid of all was the bed, in every respect like the one he had envied. He was nearly beside himself with joy, and in his new life the old one was soon forgotten.

It was now the beginning of summer, and each day the sun blazed more fiercely. One morning the heat was so great that the stonecutter could scarcely breathe, and he determined he would stop at home till the evening. He was rather dull, for he had never learned how to amuse himself, and was peeping through the closed blinds to see what was going on in the street, when a little carriage passed by, drawn by servants dressed in blue and silver. In the carriage sat a prince, and over his head a golden umbrella was held, to protect him from the sun’s rays.

“Oh, if I were only a prince!” said the stonecutter to himself, as the carriage vanished around the corner. “Oh, if I were only a prince, and could go in such a carriage and have a golden umbrella held over me, how happy I should be!”

And a prince he was. Before his carriage rode one company of men and another behind it; servants dressed in scarlet and gold bore him along, the coveted umbrella was held over his head, everything his heart could desire was his. But yet it was not enough. He looked around still for something to wish for, and when he saw that in spite of the water he poured on the grass the rays of the sun scorched it, and that in spite of the umbrella held over his head each day his face grew browner and browner, he cried in his anger: “The sun is mightier than I; oh, if I were only the sun!”

And the mountain spirit answered: “Your wish is heard; the sun you shall be.”

And the sun he was, and felt himself proud in his power. He shot his beams above and below, on earth and in heaven; he burnt up the grass in the fields and scorched the faces of princes as well as of poorer folk. but in a short time he began to grow tired of his might, for there seemed nothing left for him to do. Discontent once more filled his soul, and when a cloud covered his face, and hid the earth from him, he cried in his anger: “Does the cloud hold captive my rays, and is it mightier than I? Oh, that I were a cloud, and mightier than any!”

And the mountain spirit answered: “Your wish is heard; a cloud you shall be!”

And a cloud he was, and lay between the sun and the earth. He caught the sun’s beams and held them, and to his joy the earth grew green again and flowers blossomed. But that was not enough for him, and for days and week he poured forth rain till the rivers overflowed their banks, and the crops of rice stood in water. Towns and villages were destroyed by the power of the rain, only the great rock on the mountainside remained unmoved. The cloud was amazed at the sight, and cried in wonder: “Is the rock, then, mightier than I? Oh, if I were only the rock!”

And the mountain spirit answered; “Your wish is heard; the rock you shall be!”

And the rock he was, and gloried in his power. Proudly he stood, and neither the heat of the sun nor the force of the rain could move him. “This is better than all!” he said to himself. But one day he heard a strange noise at his feet, and when he looked down to see what it could be, he saw a stonecutter driving tools into his surface. Even while he looked a trembling feeling ran all through him, and a great block broke off and fell upon the ground. Then he cried in his wrath: “Is a mere child of earth mightier than a rock? Oh, if I were only a man!”

And the mountain spirit answered: “Your wish is heard. A man once more you shall be!”

And a man he was, and in the sweat of his brow he toiled again at his trade of stone cutting. His bed was hard and his food scanty, but he had learned to be satisfied with it, and did not long to be something or somebody else. And as he never asked for things he did not have, or desired to be greater and mightier than other people, he was happy at last, and never again heard the voice of the mountain spirit.
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All wandering mendicants, such as male sorcerers, female diviners, hermits, blind people, beggars, and tanners (Etas), have had from of old their respective rulers. Be not disinclined, however, to punish any such who give rise to disputes, or who overstep the boundaries of their own classes and are disobedient to existing laws.

The occupation of the Etas is to kill and flay horses, oxen, and other beasts, to stretch drums and make shoes; and if they are very poor, they wander from house to house, working as cobblers, mending old shoes and leather, and so earn a scanty livelihood.

Besides this, their daughters and young married women gain a trifle as wandering minstrels, called Torioi, playing on the shamisen, a sort of banjo, and singing ballads. They never marry out of their own fraternity, but remain apart, a despised and shunned race.

At execution by crucifixion it is the duty of the Etas to transfix the victims with spears; and, besides this, they have to perform all sorts of degrading offices about criminals, such as carrying sick prisoners from their cells to the hall of justice, and burying the bodies of those that have been executed. Thus their race is polluted and accursed, and they are hated accordingly.

When Minamoto no Yoritomo was yet a child, his father, Minamoto no Yoshitomo, fought with Taira no Kiyomori, and was killed by treachery: so his family was ruined; and Yoshitomo’s concubine, whose name was Tokiwa, took her children and fled from the house, to save her own and their lives. But Kiyomori, desiring to destroy the family of Yoshitomo root and branch, ordered his retainers to divide themselves into bands, and seek out the children. At last they were found; but Tokiwa was so exceedingly beautiful that Kiyomori was inflamed with love for her, and desired her to become his own concubine. Then Tokiwa told Kiyomori that if he would spare her little ones she would share his couch; but that if he killed her children she would destroy herself rather than yield to his desire. When he heard this, Kiyomori, bewildered by the beauty of Tokiwa, spared the lives of her children, but banished them from the capital.

So Yoritomo was sent to Hirugakojima, in the province of Idzu; and when he grew up and became a man, he married the daughter of a peasant. After a while Yoritomo left the province, and went to the wars, leaving his wife pregnant; and in due time she was delivered of a male child, to the delight of her parents, who rejoiced that their daughter should bear seed to a nobleman; but she soon fell sick and died, and the old people took charge of the babe. And when they also died, the care of the child fell to his mother’s kinsmen, and he grew up to be a peasant.

When Yoritomo had thus raised himself to power, if the son that his peasant wife had born to him had proclaimed himself the son of the mighty prince, he would have been made lord over a province; but he took no thought of this, and remained a tiller of the earth, forfeiting a glorious inheritance; and his descendants after him lived as peasants in the same village, increasing in prosperity and in good repute among their neighbors.

But the princely line of Yoritomo came to an end in three generations, and the house of Hojo was all-powerful in the land.

Now it happened that the head of the house of Hojo heard that a descendant of Yoritomo was living as a peasant in the land, so he summoned him and said: “It is a hard thing to see the son of an illustrious house live and die a peasant. I will promote you to the rank of Samurai.”

Then the peasant answered: “My lord, if I become a Samurai, and the retainer of some noble, I shall not be so happy as when I was my own master. If I may not remain a husbandman, let me be a chief over men, however humble they may be.”

But lord Hojo was angry at this, and thinking to punish the peasant for his insolence, said: “Since you wish to become a chief over men, there is no means of gratifying your strange wish but by making you chief over the Etas of the whole country. So now see that you rule them well.”

The burakumin are descendants of outcast communities of the feudal era, which mainly comprised those with occupations considered “tainted” with death or ritual impurity (such as executioners, undertakers, workers in slaughterhouses, butchers or tanners), and traditionally lived in their own secluded hamlets and ghettos.

They were legally liberated in 1871 with the abolition of the feudal caste system. However, this did not put a stop to social discrimination and their lower living standards, because Japanese family registration (Koseki) was fixed to ancestral home address until recently, which allowed people to deduce their Burakumin membership. The Burakumin were one of the several groups discriminated against within Japanese society.

There is still a stigma attached to being a resident of certain areas traditionally associated with the burakumin and some lingering discrimination in matters such as marriage and employment.

The long history of taboos and myths of the buraku left a continuous legacy of social desolation. Since the 1980s more and more young buraku have started to organize and protest against their social misfortunes. Movements with objectives ranging from “liberation” to encouraging integration have tried over the years to put a stop to this problem.

Fundamental Shinto beliefs equated goodness and godliness with purity and cleanliness, and they further held that impurities could cling to things and persons, making them evil or sinful. But a person could become seriously contaminated by habitually killing animals or committing some hideous misdeed that ripped at the fabric of the community, such as engaging in incest or bestiality. Such persons, custom decreed, had to be cast out from the rest of society, condemned to wander from place to place, surviving as best they could by begging or by earning a few coins as itinerant singers, dancers, mimes, and acrobats.

There are many theories as to how and in which era the outcast communities came into existence. For example, it is disputed whether society started ostracizing those who worked in tainted occupations or whether those who originally dropped out of society were forced to work in tainted occupations.

According to the latter view, displaced populations during the internal wars of the Muromachi era may have been relocated and forced into low-status occupations, for example, as public sanitation workers.

The social status and typical occupations of outcast communities have varied considerably according to region and over time. A burakumin neighborhood within metropolitan Tokyo was the last to be served by streetcar and is the site of butcher and leather shops to this day.

At the start of the Edo period (1603″Ã¢â‚¬Å“1867), the caste system was officially established as a means of designating social hierarchy, and eta were placed at the lowest level, outside of the four main divisions of society. Like the rest of the population, they were bound by sumptuary laws based on the inheritance of their social class. The eta lived in segregated settlements, and were generally avoided by the rest of Japanese society.

Segregation and discrimination were encouraged by the authorities as a means of government control. For example, they typically had their own temples and were not allowed to visit other religious sites. Japanese Buddhists were given posthumous religious names (ÃƒÂ¦Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ÃƒÂ¥ kaimyo) when they were deceased; eta were often given names that included the kanji characters for beast, humble, ignoble, servant, and other derogatory expressions.

When dealing with members of other castes, they were expected to display signs of subservience, such as the removal of headwear. In an 1859 court case described by author Shimazaki Toson, a magistrate declared that “An eta is worth 1/7 of an ordinary person.”

Historically, eta were not liable for taxation in feudal times, including the Tokugawa period, because the taxation system was based on rice yields, which they were not permitted to possess. Some outcasts were also called kawaramono (ÃƒÂ¦²³ÃƒÂ¥Ã…Â½Ã…Â¸ÃƒÂ¨Ã¢â€šÂ¬¦, “dried-up riverbed people”) because they lived along river banks that could not be turned into rice fields.

Since the taboo status of the work they performed afforded them an effective monopoly in their trades, some succeeded economically and even occasionally obtained samurai status through marrying or the outright purchase of troubled houses. Some historians point out that such exclusive rights originated in ancient times, granted by shrines, temples, kuge, or the imperial court, which held authority before the Shogunate system was established.

End of feudal era

The most famous leader of Buraku liberation, JiichirÃƒâ€¦ Matsumoto (1887″Ã¢â‚¬Å“1966), was born a burakumin in Fukuoka. He was a statesman and called “the father of buraku liberation.” The feudal caste system in Japan ended in 1869 with the Meiji restoration. In 1871, the newly formed Meiji government issued a decree called KaihÃƒâ€¦rei (ÃƒÂ¨§£ÃƒÂ¦¾ÃƒÂ¤»¤ Emancipation Edict) giving outcasts equal legal status. (This terminology is not the original, but a later revision. Originally, it was labeled Senmin Haishirei (ÃƒÂ¨³¤ÃƒÂ¦°Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃƒÂ¥»Ã†â€™ÃƒÂ¦­¢ÃƒÂ¤»¤ Edict Abolishing Ignoble Classes.) However, the elimination of their economic monopolies over certain occupations actually led to a decline in their general living standards, while social discrimination simply continued. For example, the ban on consumption of meat from livestock was lifted in 1871 in order to “westernise” the country, and many former eta moved on to work in abattoirs and as butchers.

However, slow-changing social attitudes, especially in the countryside, meant that abattoirs and workers were met with hostility from local residents. Continued ostracism as well as the decline in living standards led to former eta communities turning into slum areas.

Movements to resolve the problem in the early 20th century were divided into two camps: the “assimilation” (ÃƒÂ¥Ã…â€™ÃƒÂ¥Ã¢â‚¬â„¢Ã…â€™, dÃƒâ€¦wa?) movement which encouraged improvements in living standards of buraku communities and integration with the mainstream Japanese society, and the “levellers” (ÃƒÂ¦°´ÃƒÂ¥¹³ÃƒÂ§¤¾, suiheisha?) movement which concentrated on confronting and criticising alleged perpetrators of discrimination.

Post-war situation
Discrimination in access to services

While in many parts of the country buraku settlements, built on the site of former eta villages, ceased to exist by the 1960s because of either urban development or integration into mainstream society, in other regions many of their residents continued to suffer from slum-like housing and infrastructure, lower economic status, illiteracy, and lower general educational standards, especially in rural areas.

In 1969, the government passed the Special Measures Law for Assimilation Projects to provide funding to these communities. Communities deemed to be in need of funding were designated for various Assimilation Projects (ÃƒÂ¥Ã…â€™ÃƒÂ¥Ã¢â‚¬â„¢Ã…â€™ÃƒÂ¥¯¾ÃƒÂ§­Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃƒÂ¤º¹ÃƒÂ¦¥­ dÃƒâ€¦wa taisaku jigyÃƒâ€¦), such as construction of new housing and community facilities such as health centers, libraries and swimming pools.

Social discrimination

Train station graffiti describing Hamano Station in HamanochÃƒâ€¦, ChÃƒâ€¦«Ãƒâ€¦-ku, Chiba as a village of eta (ÃƒÂ£Ã¢â‚¬Å¡¨ÃƒÂ£Ã¢â‚¬Å¡¿ÃƒÂ¦Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ), a derogatory term for burakumin.However, cases of social discrimination against residents of buraku areas is still an issue in certain regions. Outside of the Kansai region, people in general are often not even aware of the issue, and if they are, usually only as part of feudal history. Due to the taboo nature of the topic it is rarely covered by the media, and people from eastern Japan, for example, are often shocked when they learn that it is a continuing issue.

The prejudice most often manifests itself in the form of marriage discrimination, and less often, in employment. Traditionalist families have been known to check on the backgrounds of potential in-laws to identify people of buraku background. These checks are now illegal, and marriage discrimination is diminishing.

Cases of continuing social discrimination are known to occur mainly in western Japan, particularly in the Osaka, KyÃƒâ€¦to, HyÃƒâ€¦go and Hiroshima regions, where many people, especially the older generation, stereotype buraku residents (whatever their ancestry) and associate them with squalor, unemployment and criminality.

Yes, our Hawai’i buddahead capitalists mostly are
Hiroshima descendants [e.g., original central Hilo’s elite vs. Waiakea’s furyoshonen Yamaguchi ken fisher-
men], irony being that both Hiroshima/Yamaguchi are on Main Island Honshu, so it’s like Cain/Abel all over again, like Thompson vs. Tsukiyama for 442 publicity rubbernecking all over again.

Yakuza membership

Burakumin account for about 70 percent of the members of Yamaguchi-gumi, the biggest yakuza syndicate in Japan [Yamaguchi not ken here, just mob gang].

The book contained a nationwide list of all the names and locations of buraku settlements (as well as the primary means of employment of their inhabitants), which could be compared against people’s addresses to determine if they were buraku residents.

The preface contained the following message: “At this time, we have decided to go against public opinion and create this book [for] personnel managers grappling with employment issues, and families pained by problems with their children’s marriages.”

More than 200 large Japanese firms, including (according to the Buraku Liberation and Human Rights Research Centre of Osaka) Toyota, Nissan, Honda and Daihatsu, along with thousands of individuals purchased copies of the book.

In 1985, partially in response to the popularity of this book, and an increase in mimoto chÃƒâ€¦sa (ÃƒÂ¨º«ÃƒÂ¥¦Ã†â€™ÃƒÂ¨ª¿ÃƒÂ¦Ã…Â¸», private investigation into one’s background) the Osaka prefectural government introduced “An Ordinance to Regulate Personal Background Investigation Conducive to Buraku Discrimination.”

Although the production and sale of the book has been banned, numerous copies of it are still in existence, and in 1997, an Osaka private investigation firm was the first to be charged with violation of the 1985 statute for using the text. It is likely that more of Japan’s highly-lucrative private investigation market still enjoy ownership and use of the book.

In 1976, legislation was put in place which banned third parties from looking up another person’s family registry (koseki).

This traditional system of registry, kept for all Japanese by the Ministry of Justice since the 19th century, would reveal an individual’s buraku ancestry if consulted. Under the new legislation, these records could now be consulted only in legal cases, making it more difficult to identify or discriminate against members of the group.

Even into the early 1990s, however, discussion of the “Ã‹Å“liberation’ of these discriminated communities, or even their existence, was taboo in public discussion. In the 1960s the Sayama Incident (ÃƒÂ§¹­ÃƒÂ¥±±ÃƒÂ¤º¹ÃƒÂ¤»¶), which involved the murder conviction of a member of the discriminated communities based on circumstantial evidence (which is generally given little weight vs. physical evidence in Japanese courts), focused public attention on the problems of the group.

In the 1980s some educators and local governments, particularly in areas with relatively large hisabetsu buraku populations, began special education programs which they hoped would encourage greater educational and economic success for young members of the group and decrease the discrimination they faced.

Religious discrimination

While nearly all Japanese Buddhist sects have discriminated against the burakumin, the case of the JÃƒâ€¦do Shinshu Honganji Sect is a particularly bitter and ironic one. The original philosophy of the sect, as propounded by its founder Shinran, was anti-discriminatory, rejecting the need to keep the traditional Buddhist precepts or to carry out the purification rituals of indigenous Japanese religion. As such, butchers, fishermen and so on, who had all been discriminated against by the older sects, were welcomed into the Jodo Shinshu.

The side-effect of this liberating philosophy, however, was that it led to a series of anti-feudal rebellions, known as the IkkÃƒâ€¦-ikki revolts, which seriously threatened the religious and political status-quo. Accordingly the political powers engineered a situation whereby the Jodo Shinshu split into two competing branches, the Shinshu Otani-ha and the Honganji-ha. This had the consequence that the sects moved increasingly away from their anti-feudal position towards a feudal one.

Later the state also forced all people to belong to a specific Buddhist school according to the formula:

the imperial family is in Tendai, the peerage is in Shingon, the nobility is in JÃƒâ€¦do (Honen’s followers), the Samurai is in Zen, the beggar is in Nichiren, and Shin Buddhists (Shinran’s followers) are at the bottom.”

In consequence the Honganji, which under Rennyo’s leadership had defiantly accepted the derogatory label of “Ã‹Å“the dirty sect’ now began to discriminate against its own burakumin members as it jostled for political and social status.

In 1922, when the National Levelers’ Association (Zenkoku-suiheisha) was founded in Kyoto, Mankichi Saiko, a founder of the movement and Jodo Shinshu priest, said:

We shouldn’t disgrace our ancestors and violate humanity by our harsh words and terrible actions. We, who know how cold the human world is, and how to take care of humanity, can seek and rejoice from the bottom of our hearts in the warmth and light of human life.

Finally in 1969 the Honganji began to recognise its mistreatment of burakumin and appears to be beginning to address the problem.

The fact of religious discrimination against the burakumin was commonly denied until the late twentieth century. For example, in 1979 the Director-General of the Soto Sect of Buddhism made a speech at the “3rd World Conference on Religion and Peace” claiming that there was no longer any discrimination against burakumin in Japan.

Author Lian Hearn depicts a fictional feudal country highly similar to that of Japan’s own history in the three-book series Tales of the Otori (2003″Ã¢â‚¬Å“2004). The series depicts a caste system wherein “untouchables” live outside of mainstream society. The protagonist develops a friendship with one such outcast, a tanner who lives and works with other tanners in riverside settlements.

In the House episode “Son of Coma Guy”, the title character (House) is asked to explain why he decided to become a physician. He recalls a burakumin doctor whom he mistook for a janitor, until he watched the Japanese medical staff consult him when no one else knew how to help a patient, because he was right. It is implied that House believes his antisocial behavior likewise makes him an “untouchable” who must nevertheless be respected for his skills, not his status or public regard.

In Laura Joh Rowland’s “Ã‹Å“Sano Ichiro’ series, burakumin (naturally still referred to by the Feudal name “Ã‹Å“eta’) appear regularly. Sometimes they are criminals, and other times merely unseen witnesses. In The Concubine’s Tattoo, Sano speaks with the chief of a small burakumin community named Danzaemon and notes that the man has a regal bearing about him despite his status. He even thinks to himself, “But for the misfortune of his birth, what a fine daimyo he might have made! It was a blasphemous thought, but Sano could more easily imagine Danzaemon commanding an army than Tokugawa Tsunayoshi.”

In the book Rising Sun, Michael Crichton depicts a character (Theresa Asakuma) who is a burakumin descendant. Along the storyline, bits and pieces of history of this people are described to the reader.

In Cloud of Sparrows, by the Japanese-American writer, Takashi Matsuoka, and later in its sequel The Autumn Bridge, burakumin are often mentioned by the old name “Ã‹Å“eta.’ They are described as filthy beggars, more animal than human, and their life has no apparent value to the samurai, a fact that baffles the Christian missionaries visiting Japan in the novels.

Burakumin also appear in James Clavell’s historical novel ShÃƒâ€¦gun, referred to by their early feudal-era name, “eta,” meaning mass of filth.

Eta are also occasionally mentioned in Sugawara Akitada series of books by the author I.J. Parker.

In the award winning 2008 Japanese movie Okuribito (Departures), the main character Daigo becomes a professional coffiner, a line of work long reviled in Japanese culture for its association with the dead. It isn’t explicitly mentioned, but a Japanese audience would recognise it as a job for Burakumin. Despite Daigo having no mentioned ancestral background, the film portrays a sense of strong lingering discrimination to work associated with Burakumin. As such he tries to hide his new profession from everyone, including his wife , who actually leaves him when she learns th

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Curtis Narimatsu

Honomu’s Isaac Fiesta born 1950 is State ILWU head, A-hole type like predecessor Bobo Lapenia born 1942 of Pepe’ekeo, Isaac simply raised as a hothead, Bobo raised w/no mother “ do or die survival for Bobo. Isaac’s Big Island boys endorsed Abercrombie, but were outnumbered Statewide for Mufi. Isaac himself touted Abercrombie privately. Bobo’s immediate successor Fred Galdones born 1944 of Ninole/Kaumana 1 mile camp a man of immense balance/equanimity/concern/sensitivity, as Fred led Statewide our ILWU for 6 yrs. Obviously, Big Island was ILWU nerve center & natural fertile soil for best leadership, thence our continuous line of Big Isle chiefs Statewide. Heresy/sacrilege that Flip Lapenia didn’t support Flip Galdones, both hombres coming from the same nest. Fiesta is half Flip/half Luso. I totally love Galdones, my larger than life hero. Sempai Kondo like Lapenia/Fiesta in temperament, but way deeper than these 2 Flip-outs, who more are noted for their hotheads than their coolheads. Sempai Kondo, like Fred Galdones, a man of tremendous spirituality, not church kind of mix, but inside the heart in primary relationship w/their Maker. Kababayan, “Ã¢â‚¬Å“:-)

Rumi “Ã¢â‚¬Å“

Our death is our wedding with eternity.
What is the secret? “God is One.”
The sunlight splits when entering the windows of the house.
This multiplicity exists in the cluster of grapes;

For he who is living in the Light of God,
The death of the carnal soul is a blessing.
Regarding him, say neither bad nor good,
For he is gone beyond the good and the bad.
Oh God who gives the grace of vision!

For Sempai Kondo who is living in the Light of God,
The death of the carnal soul is a blessing.
Regarding him, say neither bad nor good,
For he is gone beyond the good and the bad.
Oh God who gives the grace of vision!

My back is to the wall
And my face is to my foes;
I’ve lived a life of combat,
And borne what no one knows.
But in this mortal struggle
I stand”poor speck of dust,
Defiant”self-reliant,
To die”if die I must.

Oscar James Dunn (1825 “Ã¢â‚¬Å“ 22 November 1871) was one of three African Americans who served as a Republican lieutenant governor of Louisiana during the era of Reconstruction.

In 1868, Dunn became the first elected black lieutenant governor of a U.S. state. He ran on the ticket headed by carpetbagger Henry Clay Warmoth, formerly of Illinois. After Dunn died in office, then-state Senator P. B. S. Pinchback (also a black Republican) became lieutenant governor and thereafter governor for a 34-day interim period.

Fate and free will

Fate is a theme that often occurs in Greek writing, tragedies in particular. The idea that attempting to avoid an oracle is the very thing which brings it about is a common motif in many Greek myths.

Not to say that one is a victim of fate and has no free will. The oracle inspires a series of specific choices, freely made by by the tragic hero, which lead him to his end. None of these choices is predetermined.

Another characteristic of oracles in myth is that they are almost always misunderstood by those who hear them.

President Obama expiates/purges his intellectual
disconnect by being boldly decisive/authoritative. His brass popping military understand only corazon,
not cognicion/cognition. Thence his cajones, not cognicion.

Fate is a theme which occurs in Obama-thology, which I respectfully commence today w/Obama’s War via Woodward. The idea that attempting to avoid an oracle of an unwinnable war in Afghanistan [& Iraq/Iran] is the very thing which brings it about is a common motif in many Greek myths, as well as in Obama-thology which I repose now w/sagacious Darren, Greg, & Sempai Kondo, & magnanimous/extraordinary kindred soul & editor Tiff Camille.

Not to say that Barack is a victim of fate and has no free will. His oracle inspires a series of specific choices [troop surges to counter Taliban offensives], freely made by him as the tragic hero, which lead him to his end [indecisive commander in chief]. None of these choices is predetermined.

Another characteristic of oracles in myth is that they are almost always misunderstood by those who hear them, as in Barack’s real-time instance. Barack wants to leave Afghanistan as quickly as possible. Yet, the ultimate decision is portrayed as an Obama-esque artificial useless compromise between VP Joe Biden’s light-footprint strategy and the heavy one the military medal poppers prof fer. Meanwhile, our Conservative Right views Obama as a weak president at odds with the military and uncomfortable with the use of force as indicated.

Hamartia (Ancient Greek: ÃƒÂ¡¼ÃƒÅ½¼ÃƒÅ½±ÃƒÂÃƒÂÃ¢â‚¬Å¾ÃƒÅ½¯ÃƒÅ½±) is a term developed by Aristotle in his work Poetics. The term can simply be seen as a character’s flaw or error. The word hamartia is rooted in the notion of missing the mark (hamartanein) and covers a broad spectrum that includes accident and mistake, as well as wrongdoing, error, or sin. Hamartia usually is an injury committed in ignorance (when the person affected or the results are not what the agent supposed they were).

This form of drawing emotion from the audience is a staple of the Greek tragedies. In Greek tragedy, stories that contain a character with a hamartia often follow a similar blueprint. The hamartia, as stated, is seen as an error in judgment or unwitting mistake as applied to the actions of the hero. For example, the hero might attempt to achieve a certain objective X; by making an error in judgment, however, the hero instead achieves the opposite of X, with disastrous consequences.

The hamartia, as stated, is seen as an error in judgment or unwitting mistake is applied to the actions of the hero. For example, the hero might attempt to achieve a certain objective X; by making an error in judgment, however, the hero instead achieves the opposite of X, with disastrous consequences. Barack wants to be seen as
a victim of an out-of-control doomed persecutory military narrative, thence his Woodward invite & remake of Barack as a man of immense equanimity and compassion/concern for our combat veterans. Yet the actual projection/persona of him is as a fumbling compromiser who’d be better off making decisive history turners, whether right or wrong. Ergo, right or wrong, but never in doubt!! Of course, George Bush the son 2000-2008 reduxes all too tragically our classic Greek antagonist/Devil.
Ai!! 🙂

President Obama “swallows his own stomach.” His nature entails endless reflection and violent reversals, and ensures incomprehensibility at the moment it compels speech. He wants to end war,
but he is stuck smack dab in the middle of 2
terrible ongoing wars, with no hope of resolution,
fueled by our oil profiteers. He tries to avoid the oracle of endless war but is bogged down by the very thing which brings about more war, counter insurgency operations by us, such debacle a common motif in many Greek myths.

Not to say that Barack is a victim of fate and has no free will. His oracle inspires a series of specific choices, freely made by by the him as the tragic hero, which lead him to his end. None of these choices is predetermined.

Another characteristic of oracles in myth is that they are almost always misunderstood by those who hear them. So that by trying to end war, Barack creates more war. By trying to win over Woodward, Barack loses Woodward via Barack’s failure to command respect among his medal popper color guard.

President Obama expiates/purges his intellectual
disconnect by being boldly decisive/authoritative. His brass popping military understand only corazon,
not cognicion/cognition. Thence his cajones, not cognicion. Yet still, his suits/poppers rebel vs. him.

Not to say that Barack is a victim of fate and has no free will. His oracle inspires a series of specific choices [troop surges to counter Taliban offensives], freely made by him as the tragic hero, which lead him to his end [indecisive commander in chief]. None of these choices is predetermined.

Another characteristic of oracles in myth is that they are almost always misunderstood by those who hear them, as in Barack’s real-time instance. Barack wants to leave Afghanistan as quickly as possible. Yet, the ultimate decision is portrayed as an Obama-esque artificial useless compromise between VP Joe Biden’s light-footprint strategy and the heavy one the military medal poppers prof fer. Meanwhile, our Conservative Right views Obama as a weak president at odds with the military and uncomfortable with the use of force as indicated.

Barack wants to be seen as a victim of an out-of-control doomed persecutory military narrative, thence his Woodward invite & remake of Barack as a man of immense equanimity and compassion/concern for our combat veterans. Yet the actual hamartia projection/persona of him is as a fumbling compromiser who’d be better off making decisive history turners, whether right or wrong. Ergo, right or wrong, but never in doubt!! Of course, George Bush the son 2000-2008 reduxes all too tragically our classic Greek antagonist/Devil.
Ai!!

Signifier: Tree = Signified: the mental image of a tree.

Irony threatens authoritative models of discourse, by removing the semantic security of the one signifier “Ã¢â‚¬Å“ one signified equivalency. The words and actions of the characters contradict the real situation, which the spectators fully realize, such
as when Romeo finds Juliet in a drugged death-like sleep, he assumes her to be dead and kills himself. Upon awakening to find her dead lover beside her, Juliet stabs herself with a dagger.

Statements such as Wilde’s “I can resist anything except temptation” and Chesterton’s “spies do not look like spies” are examples of rhetorical paradox. Further back, Polonius’ observation in Hamlet that “though this be madness, yet there is method in it” is a memorable third.

Irony threatens authoritative models of discourse, by removing the semantic security of the one signifier “Ã¢â‚¬Å“ one signified equivalency. The words and actions of the characters contradict the real situation, which the spectators fully realize, such as when President Obama has a meltdown, he wants to project being victimized by his medal poppers, the so-called antagonists in Woodward’s morality play, but Woodward has a different intent, which is to demonstrate Obama’s ambivalent/wimp/equivocal core.
Though such fumbling compromise be madness, to President Obama there is method to it. We all know such wishy-washiness is not great leadership, but we can’t tell him that, being that we’re not in his Situation Room, so we angst for him as Woodward paints a different portrait than what tragic figure Barack desires. Irony, gang. Ai 🙂

The Byronic hero is an idealized but flawed character exemplified in the life and writings of Lord Byron, characterised by his ex-lover Lady Caroline Lamb as being “mad, bad, and dangerous to know.” The Byronic hero first appears in Byron’s semi-autobiographical epic narrative poem Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage (1812-1818).

Sempai Kondo disdains rank and privilege. Yakudoshi,
he is a courageous exemplar for acolytes half a century younger than him. Yamato damashii, he infuses self-esteem/encourages others always, never benefiting himself, always disregarding his own time/costs to help others. Much more than our post-1920 born kids, the high school diploma generation [equivalent to a college degree back then], Sempai nails his feet to the floor/stays grounded & humble, unlike our post-1920 born 442 snob exemplars who brag/boast/secrete their own conceit. Tenno heika [his majesty the emperor] Dan Inouye born 1924 exemplifies such A-hole generation. Completely in love with themselves, Inouye’s genre are opposite from Sempai Kondo’s generation, Vietnam War combat veterans who never got square/fair shake from society.

To these folk, a hole being torn through the wall that has long cut off the end of the street is a dreadful thing. The people on the other side may not be the right sort of people. Who knows- why, an apartment building could even be erected, no one knows what sort of people live in those! Their carefully built sense of safety is being torn down as surely as the brick wall is. Something horrific does finally happen, late in the book, and when it does, even though it is obvious that one of their own has committed the crime, their minds slowly work around it and manage to deny that it was one of them, convincing themselves that it had to have been a stranger, a tramp. They can still go on with their lives in the same way they always have, even though this crime might have been avoided if they had been a little bit less self absorbed, a little less free with petty cruelties.

Jackson grew up in an area much like Pepper Street; she knew well the deadness of life there and the cruelties inflicted on one who was not up to snuff by Pepper Street rules. Her own mother is reflected in Mrs. Merriam, the woman who is so controlling that she hunts for and finds her daughter’s diary. The daughter is punished for her words, just as Jackson was. Despite being a first novel, Jackson has made an artful statement out of her grim teen years.

But it’s not death by stoning or the spirit of a dead woman at work here; it’s nothing so exotic. In a sense, it’s worse.

Pepper Street is a middle class neighborhood in California. For some of the people, it’s a stepping stone to the upper class neighborhood nearby. For others, it’s a place they are glad to arrived at. They are all, each and every one, adults and children, self satisfied and smug. None of them ever gives a thought to anyone but themselves. They consider themselves moral and proper, yet they are prejudiced against everyone who is not themselves. The one Jewish family is quietly excluded; everyone polite on the surface yet the children are not allowed to be friends with their daughter. They want nothing to do with the family who moves into a rental house, since the mother actually has to work outside the home and the daughters are challenged, one mentally, one socially. These people are so much alike that it is difficult to remember who is who; Jackson plays this up by giving a number of them similar names. No one seems to actually like any other person, whether that person is a childhood friend, a sibling, or a spouse. Yet on the surface, all is serene and just as things should be. These people are the living dead, immured in custom and being proper.

Sempai Kondo’s road through the wall “Ã¢â‚¬Å“

On the surface all is normal and just as things should be. These people are the living dead, immured in custom and being proper.

They can still go on with their lives in the same way they always have, even though this crime might have been avoided if they had been a little bit less self absorbed, a little less free with petty cruelties.
Ai! 🙂

The foregoing passages have many parallels especially to politicos because of the inherent swift/sudden reversals of fortune in political campaigns, as in
the case of President Obama, who does not mind being a one term President if he can leave his successor with a way out of Afghanistan. In terms of sage Sempai Kondo, recount Greek drama “Ã¢â‚¬Å“

In their long declamatory, narrative accounts of action, their obtrusive moralizing, and their bombastic rhetoric, they dwell on detailed accounts of horrible deeds and contain long reflective soliloquies. Though the gods rarely appear in these plays, ghosts and witches abound. Senecan tragedies explore ideas of revenge, the occult, the supernatural, suicide, blood and gore. The Renaissance scholar Julius Caesar Scaliger (1484″Ã¢â‚¬Å“1558), who knew both Latin and Greek, preferred Seneca to Euripides.

Fate is a theme which occurs in Obama-thology, which I respectfully commence w/Obama’s War via Woodward.
There are many attributes above re Greek/Roman tragedy/hero. May you find much “omerta” & ouvre above in relation to Obama-thology? The idea that attempting to avoid an oracle of an unwinnable war in Afghanistan [& Iraq/Iran] is the very thing which brings it about is a common thread in many Greek myths, as well as in Obama-thology which I repose w/sagacious Darren, Greg, & Sempai Kondo, & magnanimous/extraordinary kindred soul & editor Tiff Camille.

Not to say that Barack is a victim of fate and has no free will. His oracle inspires a series of specific choices [troop surges to counter Taliban offensives], freely made by him as the tragic hero, which lead him to his end [indecisive commander in chief]. None of these choices is predetermined.

Another characteristic of oracles in myth is that they are almost always misunderstood by those who hear them, as in Barack’s real-time instance. Barack wants to leave Afghanistan as quickly as possible. Yet, the ultimate decision is portrayed as an Obama-esque artificial useless compromise between VP Joe Biden’s light-footprint strategy and the heavy one the military medal poppers prof fer. Meanwhile, our Conservative Right views Obama as a weak president at odds with the military and uncomfortable with the use of force as indicated.

The hamartia, as stated, is seen as an error in judgment or unwitting mistake as applied to the actions of the hero. For example, the hero might attempt to achieve a certain objective X; by making an error in judgment, however, the hero instead achieves the opposite of X, with disastrous consequences.

Barack wants to be seen as
a victim of an out-of-control doomed persecutory military narrative, thence his Woodward invite & remake of Barack as a man of immense equanimity and compassion/concern for our combat veterans. Yet the actual projection/persona of him is as a fumbling compromiser who’d be better off making decisive history turners, whether right or wrong. Ergo, right or wrong, but never in doubt!! Of course, George Bush the son 2000-2008 reduxes all too tragically our classic Greek antagonist/Devil.

President Obama “swallows his own stomach.” His nature entails endless reflection and violent reversals, and ensures incomprehensibility at the moment it compels speech. He wants to end war,
but he is stuck smack dab in the middle of 2
terrible ongoing wars, with no hope of resolution,
fueled by our oil profiteers. He tries to avoid the oracle of endless war but is bogged down by the very thing which brings about more war, counter insurgency operations by us, such debacle a common motif in many Greek myths.

Another characteristic of oracles in myth is that they are almost always misunderstood by those who hear them. So that by trying to end war, Barack creates more war. By trying to win over Woodward, Barack loses Woodward via Barack’s failure to command respect among his medal popper color guard.

President Obama expiates/purges his intellectual
disconnect by being boldly decisive/authoritative. His brass popping military understand only corazon,
not cognicion/cognition. Thence his cajones, not cognicion. Yet still, his suits/poppers rebel vs. him.

Greek tragedy has remained an important site of cultural experimentation, negotiation, struggle, and change. A long line of philosophers “which includes Plato & Aristotle, along with contemporary Sempai Kondo, addressed from time immemorial the vexatious qualities of mercy, negotiation, and grace. Yesterday’s flatulence of Tiff Camille’s naysayers’ obtrusive moralizing, and their bombastic rhetoric, add more fuel to the conflagration of naysayer conceit over news-gatherer precocity.

Sempai Kondo’s definition of Grecian tragedy can include a change of fortune from bad to good as in the Eumenides, but Sempai iterates that the change from good to bad as in Oedipus Rex is preferable because this arouses deep pity and fear within the spectators. Tragedy results in a catharsis [emotional cleansing] or healing for the audience through the experience/absorption of these emotions/
energy in response to the suffering of the characters in the drama.

Sempai Kondo’s ellipses are not simple but complex and represent incidents arousing fear and pity -“Ã¢â‚¬Å“for these are so peculiar & nearly exclusive to this form of art. This reversal of fortune must be caused by the tragic hero’s hamartia, which is often mistranslated as a character flaw, but is more correctly translated as a mistake [since the original Greek etymology traces back to hamartanein, a sporting term that refers to an archer or spear-thrower missing his target]. According to Sempai, the change to bad fortune which the sad/piteous protagonist undergoes is not due to any moral defect or flaw, but a mistake of some kind. The reversal is the inevitable but unforeseen result of some action taken by the hero.

Again, Sempai arouses through pity and fear the purification of such emotions. Sempai’s common usage of tragedy refers to any story of the common lot, not of our elite/topshelf society folks.

The more complex characters are in crisis because the world around them is incomprehensible. Sempai’s protagonists, for example, are pitiful characters trapped in an enclosed space menaced by some force the characters can’t understand.

So you see, Grecian hamartia has many applications to political discourse today, in no small part because politics result in swift/sudden reversal of fortunes in the blink of an eye, and as with Obama-thology, ergo Obama is defined by the wars he inherited [“the wars are going to go down with his name on it” per Woodward] “ Sempai “swallows his own stomach.” Sempai’s nature entails endless reflection and violent reversals, and ensures incomprehensibility at the moment it compels speech. Sempai wants to end war,
but he is stuck smack dab in the middle of 2
terrible ongoing wars, with no hope of resolution,
fueled by our oil profiteers. He tries to avoid the oracle of endless war but is bogged down by the very thing which brings about more war, counter insurgency operations by us, such debacle a common motif in many Greek myths. As w/Soviet withdrawal, Sempai advocates immediate retreat from foreign lands so that our “shot and shell” shall not advance our oil profiteers’ imperialist expansionism. I dedicate this preceding sentence, incendiary in truth as in rhetoric, to all-soul pilgrim Sempai Kondo.

In While I’m Falling, Laura Moriarty presents a compelling depiction of how one young woman’s life changes when her family breaks up for good.

Ever since her parents announced that they’re getting divorced, Veronica has been falling. Hard. A junior in college, she has fallen in love. She has fallen behind in her difficult coursework. She hates her job as counselor at the dorm, and she longs for the home that no longer exists. When an attempt to escape the pressure, combined with bad luck, lands her in a terrifying situation, a shaken Veronica calls her mother for help”Ã¢â‚¬Å“only to find her former foundation too preoccupied to offer any assistance at all.

But Veronica only gets to feel hurt for so long. Her mother shows up at the dorm with a surprising request”Ã¢â‚¬Å“and with the elderly family dog in tow. Boyfriend complications ensue, along with her father’s sudden interest in dating. Veronica soon finds herself with a new set of problems, and new questions about love and independence.

Darkly humorous, beautifully written, and filled with crystalline observations about how families fall apart, While I’m Falling takes a deep look at the relationship between a daughter and a mother when one is trying to grow up and the other is trying to stay afloat.

The Rest of Her Life
by Laura Moriarty
In The Rest of Her Life, Laura Moriarty delivers a luminous, compassionate, and provocative look at how mothers and daughters with the best intentions can be blind to the harm they do to one another. Leigh is the mother of popular high school senior Kara. Their relationship is already strained for reasons Leigh does not fully understand when, in a moment of carelessness, Kara makes a mistake that ends in tragedy “ the effects of which not only divide Leigh’s family, but polarize the entire community. We see the story from Leigh’s perspective, as she grapples with the hard reality of what her daughter has done and the devastating consequences her actions have on the family of another teenage girl in town, all while struggling to protect Kara in the face of rising public outcry. The Rest of Her Life is a novel of complex moral dilemma, filled with nuanced characters and a page-turning plot that makes readers ask themselves, “What would I do?”

Laura Moriarty

“There are other Laura Moriartys I shouldn’t be confused with: Laura Moriarty the poet, and Laura Moriarty the crime writer. If it helps, I’m Laura Eugenia Moriarty, though I’ve never used my middle name professionally.”

In the summer of 2003, Laura Moriarty took some time out to talk with us about her favorite books, authors, and interests.

What was the book that most influenced your life “ and why?
It’s difficult to pick just one, of course. But I will say that while I was writing The Center of Everything, I read Carl Sagan’s The Demon Haunted World, and it made a strong impression on me. I only knew about Sagan from watching the Nova Channel when I was a kid, but I happened upon an essay he’d written before he died. I was so impressed I went to the library and checked out some of his books. In The Demon Haunted World, Sagan stresses the importance of skepticism and rational reasoning when considering the mysteries of the universe. It’s easy for us today to see the insanity of the witchcraft trials, but Sagan gives a sympathetic account of how frightening the world must have seemed in those times, and how quickly our ability to reason can be dismissed in the face of fear and superstition. Today, Sagan points out, we have crop circles, alien abductions, and religious fundamentalism; the book has a great chapter called “The Baloney Detection Kit,” an important tool for any open-minded skeptic. What I like most about Sagan is that he seems skeptical without coming across as cynical. He looks at the vastness of the universe and the intricacy of the natural world with so much wonder and awe, and he’s able to translate it to a reader who isn’t a scientist, such as myself. I also noticed how he refrains from making fun or putting down his opponents; there’s such a generosity of spirit in his writing. I tried to put a bit of Sagan in Evelyn, the narrator of The Center of Everything.

What are your ten favorite books “ and what makes them special to you?

Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood “ This book recounts an actual murder that took place over a hundred years ago in a small town outside of Toronto. The narrator is the alleged murderess, an Irish immigrant servant girl. I listened to this book on audiotape, and I liked it so much I went out and got the book and read that too. The narrator has one of the most haunting voices I’ve ever come across.

Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl “ I read somewhere that Anne Frank’s diary was the best selling book of all time, not including the Bible. I don’t know if that’s true or not, but I know I’m one of millions who feel fortunate to have read her words. I’ve reread the Diary many times over the years, and it’s a different book for me with each new reading. I first read it when I was thirteen, and at that time, it introduced me to the cruelty of the Holocaust, to the extent that I could comprehend it at the time. But when I read it again a few years ago, it was an entirely different book for me. I was more aware of the difficult relationship she had with her mother, and how she struggled against the way others perceived her. When I read the Diary again recently, I saw the brilliance in her writing “Ã¢â‚¬Å“ her eye for details, and the way she conveys character with just a few brief lines of dialogue. I am certain that if the Franks would have emigrated to America and Anne would have grown up in the suburbs, she would still would have been an important writer.

This Boy’s Life by Tobias Wolff “ I really like memoirs, especially when they’re honest, when the writer refuses to let his story fall into comfortable, familiar patterns. Wolff survived a brutal upbringing with a sadistic stepfather, and so on some levels, the book is a story about survival in the face of emotional and physical abuse. But my favorite passages in the book are ones when Wolff takes a hard look at himself as an adolescent and admits to feelings and urges that a less courageous writer might have omitted. He chooses honesty over neat endings. His prose is beautiful, too.

Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris “ Sedaris is hilarious, first and foremost. His stories are so funny that they could get by just on being funny, but often, once I stop laughing and think about them, I realize there’s more going on. When I taught English at UNH, I read his story about his brother, “You Can’t Kill the Rooster” to my students. I thought it was a great example of how alive writing could be. They weren’t used to laughing that much in English class. I think a lesser writer might have been satisfied with turning an essay about his brother into one of the funniest character sketches of all time, but Sedaris’s narrative also has so much respect and warmth in it.

Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China by Jung Chang “ This book is non-fiction, an account of three generations of Chinese women. The grandmother was a concubine with bound feet; the mother was a soldier in the Red Army, and the daughter, who wrote the book, lives in London today. Wild Swans gives a personal account of the misery of the Cultural Revolution and the insanity of life under Mao. It’s a big book, full of details and sad stories. I assigned it when I was teaching at the University of Kansas, and some students practically rioted because they hated having to read such a long book about China. But some students loved it just as much as I did. Wild Swans reminds me that people have the capacity to create immense misery, but we also have the capacity to survive it.

A Map of the World by Jane Hamilton “ I read this book years ago, and I remember I liked it very much. But just recently, I was lying in bed, trying to sleep, and for some reason I thought of it, and I thought about the plot, and it hit me all of a sudden that it was a great book. It’s as if it took me that long to realize it. A Map of the World is about a school nurse, Alice, living a mildly frustrating life in a small town with her family; she’s kind of happy, and she kind of isn’t. But then two very bad things happen: the child of a close friend drowns while under Alice’s supervision; months later, she’s falsely accused of sexual abuse by a vengeful parent at the school where she works. She’s sent to jail, and many of her former neighbors think the worst of her. So while Alice is plagued with guilt for something she did do, she’s also attacked by others for something she didn’t do. I think guilt is a really interesting concept for a writer to work with, and Hamilton does it so well. The prison scenes are amazing.

The Hours by Michael Cunningham “ This book takes a sympathetic look at people who choose to commit suicide; ironically, it’s one of the most life affirming books I’ve ever read. The characters have real struggles “ AIDS, mental illness, grief “ but at the end of the book, I felt I had been asked to look at life a little more carefully to see the beauty in it, even in its most difficult moments. And it’s such a short book! I’m always impressed with authors who can convey so much in relatively few pages.

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald “ This novel is structurally perfect. As if that weren’t enough, there’s the lush, beautiful prose “ the fresh green breast of the New World and all that. And Nick is my favorite kind of narrator. Like Ishmael in Moby Dick, he’s a side character observing the downfall of someone larger than life.

At Home in the World: A Memoir by Joyce Maynard “ I was pretty skeptical when I checked out this book. All I knew about Maynard was that she had had an affair with J. D. Salinger in her youth, and she recently attempted to sell his old love letters on eBay. I remember thinking, “what a jerk she must be,” and I got the book to prove to myself that she was, in fact, a jerk. But I was instantly captivated by Maynard’s voice as she described her parents’ tormented marriage, her father’s alcoholism, and her own pathological obsession with accomplishment and success. I learned that she was eighteen and anorexic when the fifty-three-year-old Salinger began courting her, and by the time I got through the brutal details of their “romance,” I decided that Maynard had every right to sell his letters: she earned them. I think some of the reactions to this memoir have been suspiciously vicious. If so many people don’t want this woman to talk, it makes me more interested in what she has to say.

The Autobiography of Malcolm X as told to Alex Haley “ This is kind of a tough book for a white person to read. I almost stopped reading half way through because the anger towards white people was so unrelenting, and the way he viewed white women seemed especially simplistic and unfair. It occurred to me, of course, that this was how it felt to be viewed as a color and not as a person, and given the stories he told about whites murdering his father and humiliating his mother, his anger made perfect sense. But as an individual reader who happens to be white, his generalized hatred was hard to take. I’m so glad I kept reading, though, because about three quarters through the book, he starts to question whether hating white people is really the answer. I think it was so brave of him to admit his worldview was changing when he was already famous and immensely popular for hating whites. It would have been very tempting to save face and just keep serving up witty one-liners and angry rants to the press. I think it takes a lot of courage to change your mind on a public stage. But Malcolm X was intellectually honest with himself and with his followers. And the book is particularly interesting because he’s going through these changes after Haley has already started interviewing him.

Aristotle defines hamartia as a missing of virtue, the desired goal, whether out of weakness, accident or defective knowledge. However, there was no thought of guilt involved. It took the usage of this word in the Septuagint (Greek version of the Jewish scriptures) to invest it with the idea of being an offense against God. In the Septuagint, revelation of God through the Word was added to the futile gropings of man as expressed through the Greek philosophers. And without the information that God alone can give, even the best of man’s thought only leads into a dead-end Street.

The biblical view of sin is not found in classical Greek, for in Greek thought there was no sense of man’s enmity against God consisting in man’s refusal to yield to God’s authority and do his will. Hamartia covers everything from crime to harmless faults in its classical Greek usage.

Virtue for Aristotle was not an absolute, but the means between two extremes. Hamartia was to him a deviation from that means, to either extreme. Hamartia, then, was doing that which is not intellectually or technically correct in accordance with the Greek mores. It had no moral force, as it always retreated into the inescapable ignorance to which man was bound through no fault of his own. So no sense of guilt was implied. In this view all guilt derives from ignorance, but this ignorance is a limitation of human existence imposed by fate and deserves no blame.

The deep meaning of the Greek tragedy is anchored in this concept: human guilt follows from the limitation of human knowledge, not as personal, moral guilt, but as guilt given with existence itself. Man acts in ignorance, with unforeseeable consequences for which he is not responsible. All he can do is accept and confess the fact and the consequences of his ignorant error. The result: tragedy, with no remedy.

Socrates based his work of instruction on the principle that ignorance is the root of all evil. It follows that, for the Greek philosopher, right understanding will lead to right action. The man who really understands and knows acts rightly. And, of course, behind this assumption stands the belief that man is basically good.

We see in this the foundation of modern thought patterns: the idea that education will produce right behavior and that man, being basically good, only needs to learn and he will behave. So we read such statements as that formulated by Solon: According to the immanent laws of developing reality, according to the law of time, the bad withers and the good flourishes and establishes itself.

In all this we see the background of more modern thought, the view that all wrong action of men stems from ignorance, which can be removed by education, and thus avoiding any thought of personal responsibility.

The factor obviously lacking in this philosophy, from the Christian view, is the will, by which man expresses his defiance of God and his Word.

Barack’s actual projection/persona as a fumbling compromiser who’d be better off making decisive history turners, whether right or wrong, fulfills the Grecian oracle that Barack’s attempting to avoid an unwinnable war in Afghanistan [& Iraq/Iran] is the very thing which brings it about.

Not to say that Barack is a victim of fate and has no free will. His oracle inspires a series of specific choices [troop surges to counter Taliban offensives], freely made by him as the tragic hero, which lead him to his end [indecisive commander in chief]. None of these choices is predetermined.

Another characteristic of oracles in myth is that they are almost always misunderstood by those who hear them, as in Barack’s real-time instance. Barack wants to leave Afghanistan as quickly as possible. Yet, the ultimate decision is portrayed as an Obama-esque artificial useless compromise between VP Joe Biden’s light-footprint strategy and the heavy one the military medal poppers proffer. Meanwhile, our Conservative Right views Obama as a weak president at odds with the military and uncomfortable with the use of force as indicated.

Of course, George Bush the son 2000-2008 reduxes all too tragically our classic Greek antagonist/Devil.

President Obama “swallows his own stomach.” His nature entails endless reflection and violent reversals, and ensures incomprehensibility at the moment it compels speech. He wants to end war,
but he is stuck smack dab in the middle of 2
terrible ongoing wars, with no hope of resolution,
fueled by our oil profiteers. He tries to avoid the oracle of endless war but is bogged down by the very thing which brings about more war, counter insurgency operations by us, such debacle a common motif in many Greek myths.

So that by trying to end war, Barack creates more war. By trying to win over Woodward, Barack loses Woodward via Barack’s failure to command respect among his medal popper color guard.

President Obama expiates/purges his intellectual
disconnect by being boldly decisive/authoritative. His brass popping military understand only corazon,
not cognicion/cognition. Thence his cajones, not cognicion. Yet still, his suits/poppers rebel vs. him.

Winning is unattainable. Exiting honorably is the
only option left for Obama, albeit “losing.” We are an invasion force, not an occupation force, so that we do not lose what we do not anymore possess.
Thus the twisted euphemism “honorable exit/retreat” to shun the taboo word “losing.”

Western thought evolved into monotheistic Jewish
concepts of personal guilt and sin, this duality
absent in Grecian paganism, in large part because
increased knowledge of our secular world still
left a big hole/void as to our emotional or
human condition, so to speak. Thence,
monotheism vs. phased out nature worship/paganism.

Barack is a strong Christian and carries a heavy
burden of personal guilt over the KIAs/MIAs, based
on America’s oil-fueled imperialism. In our
Judeo-Christian mindset, America’s sins of overpride
& greed have landed us in no-man’s land on foreign
soil, made deadly/toxic by our “shot & shell.”
Barack personally internalizes these selfish sins,
and based on his vicarious guilt for our collective
sins as a nation, Barack extends Grecian tragedy to
fumble even more via indecision/literally being frozen stiff over causing more unnecessary KIAs/WIAs/civilian casualties via bolstering of our meager armed force presence in Afghanistan/etc. “ vs. outright removal/retreat/”losing” Obama’s War [inherited] a la the Soviet “hightailing” outta’ Afghanistan within a year and a half in 1987, the only sane/Grecian cathartic-purification-cleansing thing to do at this point. By Obama’s pontification/Christian guilt-sin, Grecian tragedy plays out to more tragedy, Judeo-Christian style. Of course, Asian metaphysical thrust is to avoid suffering, not Western guilt-sin, just as Muslim thrust is to avert overpride, not Western guilt-sin. Sin does not quantify in Asian or Muslim thought. Comfort/relaxation is Asian goal [like ancient non-theistic Grecians], just as shared equality is Muslim goal, unlike lone ranger salvation/atonement as Western goal. In a sense, Asian ascetism/monk-ism/Grecian polydeism [or later polytheism] or Muslim unstrained Mercy averts Obama’s stretched tragic narrative “ be sensible and get out of Afghanistan/etc. per Soviet withdrawal 1987. Such is the ultimate/extended terminal tragedy which plays out proverbially “ Barack becomes an unwitting prisoner of our own American imperialist/expansionist narrative, a carrier of the host toxin of hubris of his immediate predecessor Bush, but waylaying itself way back in time to our Puritan Exceptionalism of the White Man’s Burden/Colored Man’s Bestiality. No kidding.

Very good. This is why world leaders such as President Obama should read about Greek tragic heroes. They are the foundation of Western culture, and more broadly, have common threads with all cultures, Asian/Muslim included.

Regards, KL

P.S. “winning and losing” need to be better defined
or even re-defined

From gorgeous & gifted Denise Takashima born
1953 “Ã¢â‚¬Å“

Re: Greek tragedy applied to Obama’s War [Woodward]

You are right on the button. Thus, the pros and cons of being a leader of a world-power nation “ played out for us all to experience. The same could be said for the romans”¦ aloha, denise

The tragedian playwright always insists on the operation of the doctrine of free will. The tragic hero always is able to back out, to redeem oneself. But, the author dictates, the tragic hero must move unheedingly to the tragic hero’s doom.

President Obama’s oracle inspires a series of specific choices [troop surges to counter Taliban offensives], freely made by him as the tragic hero, which lead him unheedingly to his doom [indecisive commander in chief]. None of these choices is predetermined.

The idea that attempting to avoid an oracle of an unwinnable war in Afghanistan [& Iraq/Iran] is the very thing which brings it about is a common thread in many Greek myths, as well as in Obama-thology here.

President Obama “swallows his own stomach.” He tries to avoid the oracle of endless war but is bogged down by the very thing which brings about more war, counter insurgency operations by us.

Another characteristic of oracles in myth is that they are almost always misunderstood by those who hear them. So that by trying to end war, Barack creates more war. By trying to win over Woodward, Barack loses Woodward via Barack’s failure to command respect among his medal popper color guard.

Barack’s euphemism of honorable retreat instead of
the reality of losing a war plays into his Oracle/
Fate of a forsaken tragic hero. He tries to make
sense of being forsaken by Fate/history, but is
unable to grasp the reality of overpride, or what
Christians like Obama call the sins of egotism/vanity.
Barack’s powers of intellect/cunning overcome common sense. The terminal tragedy which plays out proverbially is that Barack becomes an unwitting prisoner of our own American imperialist/expansionist narrative, a carrier of the host toxin of hubris of his immediate predecessor Bush, but waylaying itself way back in time to our Puritan Exceptionalism of the White Man’s Burden/Colored Man’s Bestiality.

Pride/vanity are the most pernicious/pervasive
sins, so to speak [via Barack’s Christianity],
afflicting all social classes high & low. Greed
afflicts more so the rich, ergo the richer you
get, the greedier/more avaricious you become.
I see this all the time at our public facilities
[stores/offices/etc.]. Anger/envy-jealousy
sublimate as you get higher up on the social
register [don’t tell Gen. Petraeus this].

Essentially, President Obama unwittingly becomes
a prisoner of his own Christian narrative of
guilt over the endless war in Afghanistan/KIAs/
WIAs, and suffers the sins of pride/vanity
as consequences. He is forsaken by his own
Christian Oracle.

Brother Keoni & Sister Lukini Andrew born 1942/1943 are my best friends, and the Mormon mission parallels Grecian Oracle “ nothing happens by chance [everything is fore-ordained], but we/humanity have agency/free will [predestination only for Calvinists].
We choose to turn toward our Heavenly Father or away from Him. Lest we fall in love with ourselves with overpride/egomania [unrighteous dominion], we have a chance to ascend up into the 3 degrees of glory [highest floor up on the elevator, the celestial, on down to the middle floor, the terrestial, and on down to the ground floor, the telestial, w/subterranean Perdition — dark chamber, not fiery inferno — reserved only for the very few such as Lucifer].
The Andrews’ mission here sums up as “Great Opportunity” [to mission Salvation]. Positive attitude, with cardinal virtues of humility, kindness, and patience. Barack makes sense of being forsaken by Fate? Euphemism/equivocation or not, the reality of being forsaken always stays with each & every one of us, including President Obama. Whatever might be the cause/trigger. One’s impoverishment/austerity measure brilliantly the significant other, because there is no mask for you to wear, nothing for you to impress another with, all you proffer is your unadorned naked body. Undeniably, Makiki salt of the earth kid Obama had his feet nailed to the floor, & probably had more sense to get out of Afghanistan than our medal popping Pentagon brass. Are you forsaken? Do you have your alma y corazon to withstand life’s dismissal of you? Or do you surrender to being
irrelevant?

From 442 head turner Ted Tsukiyama born 1920 “Ã¢â‚¬Å“

I personally have a lot of admiration and appreciation for Bill Okino Thompson [born 1924 –longtime State 442nd RCT President from Waiakea-Yashijima, Hilo — Bill is my dad’s “baby brah”] for all his service on behalf of the veterans, and most particularly for using his influence with the Legislature to get funding to erect the three memorials honoring the VVV up at the UH campus. Without him it wouldn’t have happened. He greatly admired the VVV through his close friendship with HQ 2nd Bn mates Sus Yamamoto and Herb Isonaga. His speech extolling the VVV and detailing how the seven VVV KIA met their sacrificial end stands as one of the greatest tributes ever tendered to the VVV. Despite his declining health he continues to serve and maximize the cause of the WW II Nisei veteran well. My view and relation with Bill will continue to remain positive.

All that Ted Tsukiyama learned through his avocation of WW II military history plus the experience of having been on the ground floor of post-Pearl Harbor history as one of Hung Wai Ching’s boys have given Ted experience and knowledge that today’s media, historians, writers, moviemakers, etc. need and yearn for in their assignments, and it is they that look up Ted and seek out Ted. At this moment Ted is being bugged by a Japan writer from Asahi Shinbun asking for names of 100th Bn vets (former 298th Inf.) who witnessed the capture of the midget submarine commander Sakamaki on December 8, 1941 at Waimanalo Beach. I myself love to hear stories of Hung Wai and Charles Hemenway and many other incredible but unsuspecting historymakers from Ted. Ted willingly shares all such remembrances/information because people should know about this historical information, and certainly not because Ted wants any more recognition or publicity out of it. Being consciously aware of such misconceptions about Ted’s taint of being a publicity seeker, Ted purposely seeks a low profile in veterans affairs and turns down all requests to serve as president or other high profile roles in the 442 and MIS. Ai!! 🙂

Honomu’s Isaac Fiesta born 1950 is State ILWU head, A-hole type like predecessor Bobo Lapenia born 1942 of Pepe’ekeo, Isaac simply raised as a hothead, Bobo raised w/no mother “ do or die survival for Bobo. Isaac’s Big Island boys endorsed Abercrombie, but were outnumbered Statewide for Mufi. Isaac himself touted Abercrombie privately. Bobo’s immediate successor Fred Galdones born 1944 of Ninole/Kaumana 1 mile camp a man of immense balance/equanimity/concern/sensitivity, as Fred led Statewide our ILWU for 6 yrs. Obviously, Big Island was ILWU nerve center & natural fertile soil for best leadership, thence our continuous line of Big Isle chiefs Statewide. Heresy/sacrilege that Flip Lapenia didn’t support Flip Galdones, both hombres coming from the same nest. Fiesta is half Flip/half Luso. I totally love Galdones, my larger than life hero. Sempai Kondo like Lapenia/Fiesta in temperament, but way deeper than these 2 Flip-outs, who more are noted for their hotheads than their coolheads. Sempai Kondo, like Fred Galdones, a man of tremendous spirituality, not church kind of mix, but inside the heart in primary relationship w/their Maker. Kababayan, “Ã¢â‚¬Å“:-)

Rumi “Ã¢â‚¬Å“

Our death is our wedding with eternity.
What is the secret? “God is One.”
The sunlight splits when entering the windows of the house.
This multiplicity exists in the cluster of grapes;

For he who is living in the Light of God,
The death of the carnal soul is a blessing.
Regarding him, say neither bad nor good,
For he is gone beyond the good and the bad.
Oh God who gives the grace of vision!

For Sempai Kondo who is living in the Light of God,
The death of the carnal soul is a blessing.
Regarding him, say neither bad nor good,
For he is gone beyond the good and the bad.
Oh God who gives the grace of vision!

My back is to the wall
And my face is to my foes;
I’ve lived a life of combat,
And borne what no one knows.
But in this mortal struggle
I stand”poor speck of dust,
Defiant”self-reliant,
To die”if die I must.

Oscar James Dunn (1825 “Ã¢â‚¬Å“ 22 November 1871) was one of three African Americans who served as a Republican lieutenant governor of Louisiana during the era of Reconstruction.

In 1868, Dunn became the first elected black lieutenant governor of a U.S. state. He ran on the ticket headed by carpetbagger Henry Clay Warmoth, formerly of Illinois. After Dunn died in office, then-state Senator P. B. S. Pinchback (also a black Republican) became lieutenant governor and thereafter governor for a 34-day interim period.

Fate and free will

Fate is a theme that often occurs in Greek writing, tragedies in particular. The idea that attempting to avoid an oracle is the very thing which brings it about is a common motif in many Greek myths.

Not to say that one is a victim of fate and has no free will. The oracle inspires a series of specific choices, freely made by by the tragic hero, which lead him to his end. None of these choices is predetermined.

Another characteristic of oracles in myth is that they are almost always misunderstood by those who hear them.

President Obama expiates/purges his intellectual
disconnect by being boldly decisive/authoritative. His brass popping military understand only corazon,
not cognicion/cognition. Thence his cajones, not cognicion.

Fate is a theme which occurs in Obama-thology, which I respectfully commence today w/Obama’s War via Woodward. The idea that attempting to avoid an oracle of an unwinnable war in Afghanistan [& Iraq/Iran] is the very thing which brings it about is a common motif in many Greek myths, as well as in Obama-thology which I repose now w/sagacious Darren, Greg, & Sempai Kondo, & magnanimous/extraordinary kindred soul & editor Tiff Camille.

Not to say that Barack is a victim of fate and has no free will. His oracle inspires a series of specific choices [troop surges to counter Taliban offensives], freely made by him as the tragic hero, which lead him to his end [indecisive commander in chief]. None of these choices is predetermined.

Another characteristic of oracles in myth is that they are almost always misunderstood by those who hear them, as in Barack’s real-time instance. Barack wants to leave Afghanistan as quickly as possible. Yet, the ultimate decision is portrayed as an Obama-esque artificial useless compromise between VP Joe Biden’s light-footprint strategy and the heavy one the military medal poppers prof fer. Meanwhile, our Conservative Right views Obama as a weak president at odds with the military and uncomfortable with the use of force as indicated.

Hamartia (Ancient Greek: ÃƒÂ¡¼ÃƒÅ½¼ÃƒÅ½±ÃƒÂÃƒÂÃ¢â‚¬Å¾ÃƒÅ½¯ÃƒÅ½±) is a term developed by Aristotle in his work Poetics. The term can simply be seen as a character’s flaw or error. The word hamartia is rooted in the notion of missing the mark (hamartanein) and covers a broad spectrum that includes accident and mistake, as well as wrongdoing, error, or sin. Hamartia usually is an injury committed in ignorance (when the person affected or the results are not what the agent supposed they were).

This form of drawing emotion from the audience is a staple of the Greek tragedies. In Greek tragedy, stories that contain a character with a hamartia often follow a similar blueprint. The hamartia, as stated, is seen as an error in judgment or unwitting mistake as applied to the actions of the hero. For example, the hero might attempt to achieve a certain objective X; by making an error in judgment, however, the hero instead achieves the opposite of X, with disastrous consequences.

The hamartia, as stated, is seen as an error in judgment or unwitting mistake is applied to the actions of the hero. For example, the hero might attempt to achieve a certain objective X; by making an error in judgment, however, the hero instead achieves the opposite of X, with disastrous consequences. Barack wants to be seen as
a victim of an out-of-control doomed persecutory military narrative, thence his Woodward invite & remake of Barack as a man of immense equanimity and compassion/concern for our combat veterans. Yet the actual projection/persona of him is as a fumbling compromiser who’d be better off making decisive history turners, whether right or wrong. Ergo, right or wrong, but never in doubt!! Of course, George Bush the son 2000-2008 reduxes all too tragically our classic Greek antagonist/Devil.
Ai!! 🙂

President Obama “swallows his own stomach.” His nature entails endless reflection and violent reversals, and ensures incomprehensibility at the moment it compels speech. He wants to end war,
but he is stuck smack dab in the middle of 2
terrible ongoing wars, with no hope of resolution,
fueled by our oil profiteers. He tries to avoid the oracle of endless war but is bogged down by the very thing which brings about more war, counter insurgency operations by us, such debacle a common motif in many Greek myths.

Not to say that Barack is a victim of fate and has no free will. His oracle inspires a series of specific choices, freely made by by the him as the tragic hero, which lead him to his end. None of these choices is predetermined.

Another characteristic of oracles in myth is that they are almost always misunderstood by those who hear them. So that by trying to end war, Barack creates more war. By trying to win over Woodward, Barack loses Woodward via Barack’s failure to command respect among his medal popper color guard.

President Obama expiates/purges his intellectual
disconnect by being boldly decisive/authoritative. His brass popping military understand only corazon,
not cognicion/cognition. Thence his cajones, not cognicion. Yet still, his suits/poppers rebel vs. him.

Not to say that Barack is a victim of fate and has no free will. His oracle inspires a series of specific choices [troop surges to counter Taliban offensives], freely made by him as the tragic hero, which lead him to his end [indecisive commander in chief]. None of these choices is predetermined.

Another characteristic of oracles in myth is that they are almost always misunderstood by those who hear them, as in Barack’s real-time instance. Barack wants to leave Afghanistan as quickly as possible. Yet, the ultimate decision is portrayed as an Obama-esque artificial useless compromise between VP Joe Biden’s light-footprint strategy and the heavy one the military medal poppers prof fer. Meanwhile, our Conservative Right views Obama as a weak president at odds with the military and uncomfortable with the use of force as indicated.

Barack wants to be seen as a victim of an out-of-control doomed persecutory military narrative, thence his Woodward invite & remake of Barack as a man of immense equanimity and compassion/concern for our combat veterans. Yet the actual hamartia projection/persona of him is as a fumbling compromiser who’d be better off making decisive history turners, whether right or wrong. Ergo, right or wrong, but never in doubt!! Of course, George Bush the son 2000-2008 reduxes all too tragically our classic Greek antagonist/Devil.
Ai!!

Signifier: Tree = Signified: the mental image of a tree.

Irony threatens authoritative models of discourse, by removing the semantic security of the one signifier “Ã¢â‚¬Å“ one signified equivalency. The words and actions of the characters contradict the real situation, which the spectators fully realize, such
as when Romeo finds Juliet in a drugged death-like sleep, he assumes her to be dead and kills himself. Upon awakening to find her dead lover beside her, Juliet stabs herself with a dagger.

Statements such as Wilde’s “I can resist anything except temptation” and Chesterton’s “spies do not look like spies” are examples of rhetorical paradox. Further back, Polonius’ observation in Hamlet that “though this be madness, yet there is method in it” is a memorable third.

Irony threatens authoritative models of discourse, by removing the semantic security of the one signifier “Ã¢â‚¬Å“ one signified equivalency. The words and actions of the characters contradict the real situation, which the spectators fully realize, such as when President Obama has a meltdown, he wants to project being victimized by his medal poppers, the so-called antagonists in Woodward’s morality play, but Woodward has a different intent, which is to demonstrate Obama’s ambivalent/wimp/equivocal core.
Though such fumbling compromise be madness, to President Obama there is method to it. We all know such wishy-washiness is not great leadership, but we can’t tell him that, being that we’re not in his Situation Room, so we angst for him as Woodward paints a different portrait than what tragic figure Barack desires. Irony, gang. Ai 🙂

The Byronic hero is an idealized but flawed character exemplified in the life and writings of Lord Byron, characterised by his ex-lover Lady Caroline Lamb as being “mad, bad, and dangerous to know.” The Byronic hero first appears in Byron’s semi-autobiographical epic narrative poem Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage (1812-1818).

Sempai Kondo disdains rank and privilege. Yakudoshi,
he is a courageous exemplar for acolytes half a century younger than him. Yamato damashii, he infuses self-esteem/encourages others always, never benefiting himself, always disregarding his own time/costs to help others. Much more than our post-1920 born kids, the high school diploma generation [equivalent to a college degree back then], Sempai nails his feet to the floor/stays grounded & humble, unlike our post-1920 born 442 snob exemplars who brag/boast/secrete their own conceit. Tenno heika [his majesty the emperor] Dan Inouye born 1924 exemplifies such A-hole generation. Completely in love with themselves, Inouye’s genre are opposite from Sempai Kondo’s generation, Vietnam War combat veterans who never got square/fair shake from society.

To these folk, a hole being torn through the wall that has long cut off the end of the street is a dreadful thing. The people on the other side may not be the right sort of people. Who knows- why, an apartment building could even be erected, no one knows what sort of people live in those! Their carefully built sense of safety is being torn down as surely as the brick wall is. Something horrific does finally happen, late in the book, and when it does, even though it is obvious that one of their own has committed the crime, their minds slowly work around it and manage to deny that it was one of them, convincing themselves that it had to have been a stranger, a tramp. They can still go on with their lives in the same way they always have, even though this crime might have been avoided if they had been a little bit less self absorbed, a little less free with petty cruelties.

Jackson grew up in an area much like Pepper Street; she knew well the deadness of life there and the cruelties inflicted on one who was not up to snuff by Pepper Street rules. Her own mother is reflected in Mrs. Merriam, the woman who is so controlling that she hunts for and finds her daughter’s diary. The daughter is punished for her words, just as Jackson was. Despite being a first novel, Jackson has made an artful statement out of her grim teen years.

But it’s not death by stoning or the spirit of a dead woman at work here; it’s nothing so exotic. In a sense, it’s worse.

Pepper Street is a middle class neighborhood in California. For some of the people, it’s a stepping stone to the upper class neighborhood nearby. For others, it’s a place they are glad to arrived at. They are all, each and every one, adults and children, self satisfied and smug. None of them ever gives a thought to anyone but themselves. They consider themselves moral and proper, yet they are prejudiced against everyone who is not themselves. The one Jewish family is quietly excluded; everyone polite on the surface yet the children are not allowed to be friends with their daughter. They want nothing to do with the family who moves into a rental house, since the mother actually has to work outside the home and the daughters are challenged, one mentally, one socially. These people are so much alike that it is difficult to remember who is who; Jackson plays this up by giving a number of them similar names. No one seems to actually like any other person, whether that person is a childhood friend, a sibling, or a spouse. Yet on the surface, all is serene and just as things should be. These people are the living dead, immured in custom and being proper.

Sempai Kondo’s road through the wall “Ã¢â‚¬Å“

On the surface all is normal and just as things should be. These people are the living dead, immured in custom and being proper.

They can still go on with their lives in the same way they always have, even though this crime might have been avoided if they had been a little bit less self absorbed, a little less free with petty cruelties.
Ai! 🙂

The foregoing passages have many parallels especially to politicos because of the inherent swift/sudden reversals of fortune in political campaigns, as in
the case of President Obama, who does not mind being a one term President if he can leave his successor with a way out of Afghanistan. In terms of sage Sempai Kondo, recount Greek drama “Ã¢â‚¬Å“

In their long declamatory, narrative accounts of action, their obtrusive moralizing, and their bombastic rhetoric, they dwell on detailed accounts of horrible deeds and contain long reflective soliloquies. Though the gods rarely appear in these plays, ghosts and witches abound. Senecan tragedies explore ideas of revenge, the occult, the supernatural, suicide, blood and gore. The Renaissance scholar Julius Caesar Scaliger (1484″Ã¢â‚¬Å“1558), who knew both Latin and Greek, preferred Seneca to Euripides.

Fate is a theme which occurs in Obama-thology, which I respectfully commence w/Obama’s War via Woodward.
There are many attributes above re Greek/Roman tragedy/hero. May you find much “omerta” & ouvre above in relation to Obama-thology? The idea that attempting to avoid an oracle of an unwinnable war in Afghanistan [& Iraq/Iran] is the very thing which brings it about is a common thread in many Greek myths, as well as in Obama-thology which I repose w/sagacious Darren, Greg, & Sempai Kondo, & magnanimous/extraordinary kindred soul & editor Tiff Camille.

Not to say that Barack is a victim of fate and has no free will. His oracle inspires a series of specific choices [troop surges to counter Taliban offensives], freely made by him as the tragic hero, which lead him to his end [indecisive commander in chief]. None of these choices is predetermined.

Another characteristic of oracles in myth is that they are almost always misunderstood by those who hear them, as in Barack’s real-time instance. Barack wants to leave Afghanistan as quickly as possible. Yet, the ultimate decision is portrayed as an Obama-esque artificial useless compromise between VP Joe Biden’s light-footprint strategy and the heavy one the military medal poppers prof fer. Meanwhile, our Conservative Right views Obama as a weak president at odds with the military and uncomfortable with the use of force as indicated.

The hamartia, as stated, is seen as an error in judgment or unwitting mistake as applied to the actions of the hero. For example, the hero might attempt to achieve a certain objective X; by making an error in judgment, however, the hero instead achieves the opposite of X, with disastrous consequences.

Barack wants to be seen as
a victim of an out-of-control doomed persecutory military narrative, thence his Woodward invite & remake of Barack as a man of immense equanimity and compassion/concern for our combat veterans. Yet the actual projection/persona of him is as a fumbling compromiser who’d be better off making decisive history turners, whether right or wrong. Ergo, right or wrong, but never in doubt!! Of course, George Bush the son 2000-2008 reduxes all too tragically our classic Greek antagonist/Devil.

President Obama “swallows his own stomach.” His nature entails endless reflection and violent reversals, and ensures incomprehensibility at the moment it compels speech. He wants to end war,
but he is stuck smack dab in the middle of 2
terrible ongoing wars, with no hope of resolution,
fueled by our oil profiteers. He tries to avoid the oracle of endless war but is bogged down by the very thing which brings about more war, counter insurgency operations by us, such debacle a common motif in many Greek myths.

Another characteristic of oracles in myth is that they are almost always misunderstood by those who hear them. So that by trying to end war, Barack creates more war. By trying to win over Woodward, Barack loses Woodward via Barack’s failure to command respect among his medal popper color guard.

President Obama expiates/purges his intellectual
disconnect by being boldly decisive/authoritative. His brass popping military understand only corazon,
not cognicion/cognition. Thence his cajones, not cognicion. Yet still, his suits/poppers rebel vs. him.

Greek tragedy has remained an important site of cultural experimentation, negotiation, struggle, and change. A long line of philosophers “which includes Plato & Aristotle, along with contemporary Sempai Kondo, addressed from time immemorial the vexatious qualities of mercy, negotiation, and grace. Yesterday’s flatulence of Tiff Camille’s naysayers’ obtrusive moralizing, and their bombastic rhetoric, add more fuel to the conflagration of naysayer conceit over news-gatherer precocity.

Sempai Kondo’s definition of Grecian tragedy can include a change of fortune from bad to good as in the Eumenides, but Sempai iterates that the change from good to bad as in Oedipus Rex is preferable because this arouses deep pity and fear within the spectators. Tragedy results in a catharsis [emotional cleansing] or healing for the audience through the experience/absorption of these emotions/
energy in response to the suffering of the characters in the drama.

Sempai Kondo’s ellipses are not simple but complex and represent incidents arousing fear and pity -“Ã¢â‚¬Å“for these are so peculiar & nearly exclusive to this form of art. This reversal of fortune must be caused by the tragic hero’s hamartia, which is often mistranslated as a character flaw, but is more correctly translated as a mistake [since the original Greek etymology traces back to hamartanein, a sporting term that refers to an archer or spear-thrower missing his target]. According to Sempai, the change to bad fortune which the sad/piteous protagonist undergoes is not due to any moral defect or flaw, but a mistake of some kind. The reversal is the inevitable but unforeseen result of some action taken by the hero.

Again, Sempai arouses through pity and fear the purification of such emotions. Sempai’s common usage of tragedy refers to any story of the common lot, not of our elite/topshelf society folks.

The more complex characters are in crisis because the world around them is incomprehensible. Sempai’s protagonists, for example, are pitiful characters trapped in an enclosed space menaced by some force the characters can’t understand.

So you see, Grecian hamartia has many applications to political discourse today, in no small part because politics result in swift/sudden reversal of fortunes in the blink of an eye, and as with Obama-thology, ergo Obama is defined by the wars he inherited [“the wars are going to go down with his name on it” per Woodward] “ Sempai “swallows his own stomach.” Sempai’s nature entails endless reflection and violent reversals, and ensures incomprehensibility at the moment it compels speech. Sempai wants to end war,
but he is stuck smack dab in the middle of 2
terrible ongoing wars, with no hope of resolution,
fueled by our oil profiteers. He tries to avoid the oracle of endless war but is bogged down by the very thing which brings about more war, counter insurgency operations by us, such debacle a common motif in many Greek myths. As w/Soviet withdrawal, Sempai advocates immediate retreat from foreign lands so that our “shot and shell” shall not advance our oil profiteers’ imperialist expansionism. I dedicate this preceding sentence, incendiary in truth as in rhetoric, to all-soul pilgrim Sempai Kondo.

In While I’m Falling, Laura Moriarty presents a compelling depiction of how one young woman’s life changes when her family breaks up for good.

Ever since her parents announced that they’re getting divorced, Veronica has been falling. Hard. A junior in college, she has fallen in love. She has fallen behind in her difficult coursework. She hates her job as counselor at the dorm, and she longs for the home that no longer exists. When an attempt to escape the pressure, combined with bad luck, lands her in a terrifying situation, a shaken Veronica calls her mother for help”Ã¢â‚¬Å“only to find her former foundation too preoccupied to offer any assistance at all.

But Veronica only gets to feel hurt for so long. Her mother shows up at the dorm with a surprising request”Ã¢â‚¬Å“and with the elderly family dog in tow. Boyfriend complications ensue, along with her father’s sudden interest in dating. Veronica soon finds herself with a new set of problems, and new questions about love and independence.

Darkly humorous, beautifully written, and filled with crystalline observations about how families fall apart, While I’m Falling takes a deep look at the relationship between a daughter and a mother when one is trying to grow up and the other is trying to stay afloat.

The Rest of Her Life
by Laura Moriarty
In The Rest of Her Life, Laura Moriarty delivers a luminous, compassionate, and provocative look at how mothers and daughters with the best intentions can be blind to the harm they do to one another. Leigh is the mother of popular high school senior Kara. Their relationship is already strained for reasons Leigh does not fully understand when, in a moment of carelessness, Kara makes a mistake that ends in tragedy “ the effects of which not only divide Leigh’s family, but polarize the entire community. We see the story from Leigh’s perspective, as she grapples with the hard reality of what her daughter has done and the devastating consequences her actions have on the family of another teenage girl in town, all while struggling to protect Kara in the face of rising public outcry. The Rest of Her Life is a novel of complex moral dilemma, filled with nuanced characters and a page-turning plot that makes readers ask themselves, “What would I do?”

Laura Moriarty

“There are other Laura Moriartys I shouldn’t be confused with: Laura Moriarty the poet, and Laura Moriarty the crime writer. If it helps, I’m Laura Eugenia Moriarty, though I’ve never used my middle name professionally.”

In the summer of 2003, Laura Moriarty took some time out to talk with us about her favorite books, authors, and interests.

What was the book that most influenced your life “ and why?
It’s difficult to pick just one, of course. But I will say that while I was writing The Center of Everything, I read Carl Sagan’s The Demon Haunted World, and it made a strong impression on me. I only knew about Sagan from watching the Nova Channel when I was a kid, but I happened upon an essay he’d written before he died. I was so impressed I went to the library and checked out some of his books. In The Demon Haunted World, Sagan stresses the importance of skepticism and rational reasoning when considering the mysteries of the universe. It’s easy for us today to see the insanity of the witchcraft trials, but Sagan gives a sympathetic account of how frightening the world must have seemed in those times, and how quickly our ability to reason can be dismissed in the face of fear and superstition. Today, Sagan points out, we have crop circles, alien abductions, and religious fundamentalism; the book has a great chapter called “The Baloney Detection Kit,” an important tool for any open-minded skeptic. What I like most about Sagan is that he seems skeptical without coming across as cynical. He looks at the vastness of the universe and the intricacy of the natural world with so much wonder and awe, and he’s able to translate it to a reader who isn’t a scientist, such as myself. I also noticed how he refrains from making fun or putting down his opponents; there’s such a generosity of spirit in his writing. I tried to put a bit of Sagan in Evelyn, the narrator of The Center of Everything.

What are your ten favorite books “ and what makes them special to you?

Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood “ This book recounts an actual murder that took place over a hundred years ago in a small town outside of Toronto. The narrator is the alleged murderess, an Irish immigrant servant girl. I listened to this book on audiotape, and I liked it so much I went out and got the book and read that too. The narrator has one of the most haunting voices I’ve ever come across.

Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl “ I read somewhere that Anne Frank’s diary was the best selling book of all time, not including the Bible. I don’t know if that’s true or not, but I know I’m one of millions who feel fortunate to have read her words. I’ve reread the Diary many times over the years, and it’s a different book for me with each new reading. I first read it when I was thirteen, and at that time, it introduced me to the cruelty of the Holocaust, to the extent that I could comprehend it at the time. But when I read it again a few years ago, it was an entirely different book for me. I was more aware of the difficult relationship she had with her mother, and how she struggled against the way others perceived her. When I read the Diary again recently, I saw the brilliance in her writing “Ã¢â‚¬Å“ her eye for details, and the way she conveys character with just a few brief lines of dialogue. I am certain that if the Franks would have emigrated to America and Anne would have grown up in the suburbs, she would still would have been an important writer.

This Boy’s Life by Tobias Wolff “ I really like memoirs, especially when they’re honest, when the writer refuses to let his story fall into comfortable, familiar patterns. Wolff survived a brutal upbringing with a sadistic stepfather, and so on some levels, the book is a story about survival in the face of emotional and physical abuse. But my favorite passages in the book are ones when Wolff takes a hard look at himself as an adolescent and admits to feelings and urges that a less courageous writer might have omitted. He chooses honesty over neat endings. His prose is beautiful, too.

Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris “ Sedaris is hilarious, first and foremost. His stories are so funny that they could get by just on being funny, but often, once I stop laughing and think about them, I realize there’s more going on. When I taught English at UNH, I read his story about his brother, “You Can’t Kill the Rooster” to my students. I thought it was a great example of how alive writing could be. They weren’t used to laughing that much in English class. I think a lesser writer might have been satisfied with turning an essay about his brother into one of the funniest character sketches of all time, but Sedaris’s narrative also has so much respect and warmth in it.

Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China by Jung Chang “ This book is non-fiction, an account of three generations of Chinese women. The grandmother was a concubine with bound feet; the mother was a soldier in the Red Army, and the daughter, who wrote the book, lives in London today. Wild Swans gives a personal account of the misery of the Cultural Revolution and the insanity of life under Mao. It’s a big book, full of details and sad stories. I assigned it when I was teaching at the University of Kansas, and some students practically rioted because they hated having to read such a long book about China. But some students loved it just as much as I did. Wild Swans reminds me that people have the capacity to create immense misery, but we also have the capacity to survive it.

A Map of the World by Jane Hamilton “ I read this book years ago, and I remember I liked it very much. But just recently, I was lying in bed, trying to sleep, and for some reason I thought of it, and I thought about the plot, and it hit me all of a sudden that it was a great book. It’s as if it took me that long to realize it. A Map of the World is about a school nurse, Alice, living a mildly frustrating life in a small town with her family; she’s kind of happy, and she kind of isn’t. But then two very bad things happen: the child of a close friend drowns while under Alice’s supervision; months later, she’s falsely accused of sexual abuse by a vengeful parent at the school where she works. She’s sent to jail, and many of her former neighbors think the worst of her. So while Alice is plagued with guilt for something she did do, she’s also attacked by others for something she didn’t do. I think guilt is a really interesting concept for a writer to work with, and Hamilton does it so well. The prison scenes are amazing.

The Hours by Michael Cunningham “ This book takes a sympathetic look at people who choose to commit suicide; ironically, it’s one of the most life affirming books I’ve ever read. The characters have real struggles “ AIDS, mental illness, grief “ but at the end of the book, I felt I had been asked to look at life a little more carefully to see the beauty in it, even in its most difficult moments. And it’s such a short book! I’m always impressed with authors who can convey so much in relatively few pages.

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald “ This novel is structurally perfect. As if that weren’t enough, there’s the lush, beautiful prose “ the fresh green breast of the New World and all that. And Nick is my favorite kind of narrator. Like Ishmael in Moby Dick, he’s a side character observing the downfall of someone larger than life.

At Home in the World: A Memoir by Joyce Maynard “ I was pretty skeptical when I checked out this book. All I knew about Maynard was that she had had an affair with J. D. Salinger in her youth, and she recently attempted to sell his old love letters on eBay. I remember thinking, “what a jerk she must be,” and I got the book to prove to myself that she was, in fact, a jerk. But I was instantly captivated by Maynard’s voice as she described her parents’ tormented marriage, her father’s alcoholism, and her own pathological obsession with accomplishment and success. I learned that she was eighteen and anorexic when the fifty-three-year-old Salinger began courting her, and by the time I got through the brutal details of their “romance,” I decided that Maynard had every right to sell his letters: she earned them. I think some of the reactions to this memoir have been suspiciously vicious. If so many people don’t want this woman to talk, it makes me more interested in what she has to say.

The Autobiography of Malcolm X as told to Alex Haley “ This is kind of a tough book for a white person to read. I almost stopped reading half way through because the anger towards white people was so unrelenting, and the way he viewed white women seemed especially simplistic and unfair. It occurred to me, of course, that this was how it felt to be viewed as a color and not as a person, and given the stories he told about whites murdering his father and humiliating his mother, his anger made perfect sense. But as an individual reader who happens to be white, his generalized hatred was hard to take. I’m so glad I kept reading, though, because about three quarters through the book, he starts to question whether hating white people is really the answer. I think it was so brave of him to admit his worldview was changing when he was already famous and immensely popular for hating whites. It would have been very tempting to save face and just keep serving up witty one-liners and angry rants to the press. I think it takes a lot of courage to change your mind on a public stage. But Malcolm X was intellectually honest with himself and with his followers. And the book is particularly interesting because he’s going through these changes after Haley has already started interviewing him.

Aristotle defines hamartia as a missing of virtue, the desired goal, whether out of weakness, accident or defective knowledge. However, there was no thought of guilt involved. It took the usage of this word in the Septuagint (Greek version of the Jewish scriptures) to invest it with the idea of being an offense against God. In the Septuagint, revelation of God through the Word was added to the futile gropings of man as expressed through the Greek philosophers. And without the information that God alone can give, even the best of man’s thought only leads into a dead-end Street.

The biblical view of sin is not found in classical Greek, for in Greek thought there was no sense of man’s enmity against God consisting in man’s refusal to yield to God’s authority and do his will. Hamartia covers everything from crime to harmless faults in its classical Greek usage.

Virtue for Aristotle was not an absolute, but the means between two extremes. Hamartia was to him a deviation from that means, to either extreme. Hamartia, then, was doing that which is not intellectually or technically correct in accordance with the Greek mores. It had no moral force, as it always retreated into the inescapable ignorance to which man was bound through no fault of his own. So no sense of guilt was implied. In this view all guilt derives from ignorance, but this ignorance is a limitation of human existence imposed by fate and deserves no blame.

The deep meaning of the Greek tragedy is anchored in this concept: human guilt follows from the limitation of human knowledge, not as personal, moral guilt, but as guilt given with existence itself. Man acts in ignorance, with unforeseeable consequences for which he is not responsible. All he can do is accept and confess the fact and the consequences of his ignorant error. The result: tragedy, with no remedy.

Socrates based his work of instruction on the principle that ignorance is the root of all evil. It follows that, for the Greek philosopher, right understanding will lead to right action. The man who really understands and knows acts rightly. And, of course, behind this assumption stands the belief that man is basically good.

We see in this the foundation of modern thought patterns: the idea that education will produce right behavior and that man, being basically good, only needs to learn and he will behave. So we read such statements as that formulated by Solon: According to the immanent laws of developing reality, according to the law of time, the bad withers and the good flourishes and establishes itself.

In all this we see the background of more modern thought, the view that all wrong action of men stems from ignorance, which can be removed by education, and thus avoiding any thought of personal responsibility.

The factor obviously lacking in this philosophy, from the Christian view, is the will, by which man expresses his defiance of God and his Word.

Barack’s actual projection/persona as a fumbling compromiser who’d be better off making decisive history turners, whether right or wrong, fulfills the Grecian oracle that Barack’s attempting to avoid an unwinnable war in Afghanistan [& Iraq/Iran] is the very thing which brings it about.

Not to say that Barack is a victim of fate and has no free will. His oracle inspires a series of specific choices [troop surges to counter Taliban offensives], freely made by him as the tragic hero, which lead him to his end [indecisive commander in chief]. None of these choices is predetermined.

Another characteristic of oracles in myth is that they are almost always misunderstood by those who hear them, as in Barack’s real-time instance. Barack wants to leave Afghanistan as quickly as possible. Yet, the ultimate decision is portrayed as an Obama-esque artificial useless compromise between VP Joe Biden’s light-footprint strategy and the heavy one the military medal poppers proffer. Meanwhile, our Conservative Right views Obama as a weak president at odds with the military and uncomfortable with the use of force as indicated.

Of course, George Bush the son 2000-2008 reduxes all too tragically our classic Greek antagonist/Devil.

President Obama “swallows his own stomach.” His nature entails endless reflection and violent reversals, and ensures incomprehensibility at the moment it compels speech. He wants to end war,
but he is stuck smack dab in the middle of 2
terrible ongoing wars, with no hope of resolution,
fueled by our oil profiteers. He tries to avoid the oracle of endless war but is bogged down by the very thing which brings about more war, counter insurgency operations by us, such debacle a common motif in many Greek myths.

So that by trying to end war, Barack creates more war. By trying to win over Woodward, Barack loses Woodward via Barack’s failure to command respect among his medal popper color guard.

President Obama expiates/purges his intellectual
disconnect by being boldly decisive/authoritative. His brass popping military understand only corazon,
not cognicion/cognition. Thence his cajones, not cognicion. Yet still, his suits/poppers rebel vs. him.

Winning is unattainable. Exiting honorably is the
only option left for Obama, albeit “losing.” We are an invasion force, not an occupation force, so that we do not lose what we do not anymore possess.
Thus the twisted euphemism “honorable exit/retreat” to shun the taboo word “losing.”

Western thought evolved into monotheistic Jewish
concepts of personal guilt and sin, this duality
absent in Grecian paganism, in large part because
increased knowledge of our secular world still
left a big hole/void as to our emotional or
human condition, so to speak. Thence,
monotheism vs. phased out nature worship/paganism.

Barack is a strong Christian and carries a heavy
burden of personal guilt over the KIAs/MIAs, based
on America’s oil-fueled imperialism. In our
Judeo-Christian mindset, America’s sins of overpride
& greed have landed us in no-man’s land on foreign
soil, made deadly/toxic by our “shot & shell.”
Barack personally internalizes these selfish sins,
and based on his vicarious guilt for our collective
sins as a nation, Barack extends Grecian tragedy to
fumble even more via indecision/literally being frozen stiff over causing more unnecessary KIAs/WIAs/civilian casualties via bolstering of our meager armed force presence in Afghanistan/etc. “ vs. outright removal/retreat/”losing” Obama’s War [inherited] a la the Soviet “hightailing” outta’ Afghanistan within a year and a half in 1987, the only sane/Grecian cathartic-purification-cleansing thing to do at this point. By Obama’s pontification/Christian guilt-sin, Grecian tragedy plays out to more tragedy, Judeo-Christian style. Of course, Asian metaphysical thrust is to avoid suffering, not Western guilt-sin, just as Muslim thrust is to avert overpride, not Western guilt-sin. Sin does not quantify in Asian or Muslim thought. Comfort/relaxation is Asian goal [like ancient non-theistic Grecians], just as shared equality is Muslim goal, unlike lone ranger salvation/atonement as Western goal. In a sense, Asian ascetism/monk-ism/Grecian polydeism [or later polytheism] or Muslim unstrained Mercy averts Obama’s stretched tragic narrative “ be sensible and get out of Afghanistan/etc. per Soviet withdrawal 1987. Such is the ultimate/extended terminal tragedy which plays out proverbially “ Barack becomes an unwitting prisoner of our own American imperialist/expansionist narrative, a carrier of the host toxin of hubris of his immediate predecessor Bush, but waylaying itself way back in time to our Puritan Exceptionalism of the White Man’s Burden/Colored Man’s Bestiality. No kidding.

Very good. This is why world leaders such as President Obama should read about Greek tragic heroes. They are the foundation of Western culture, and more broadly, have common threads with all cultures, Asian/Muslim included.

Regards, KL

P.S. “winning and losing” need to be better defined
or even re-defined

From gorgeous & gifted Denise Takashima born
1953 “Ã¢â‚¬Å“

Re: Greek tragedy applied to Obama’s War [Woodward]

You are right on the button. Thus, the pros and cons of being a leader of a world-power nation “ played out for us all to experience. The same could be said for the romans”¦ aloha, denise

The tragedian playwright always insists on the operation of the doctrine of free will. The tragic hero always is able to back out, to redeem oneself. But, the author dictates, the tragic hero must move unheedingly to the tragic hero’s doom.

President Obama’s oracle inspires a series of specific choices [troop surges to counter Taliban offensives], freely made by him as the tragic hero, which lead him unheedingly to his doom [indecisive commander in chief]. None of these choices is predetermined.

The idea that attempting to avoid an oracle of an unwinnable war in Afghanistan [& Iraq/Iran] is the very thing which brings it about is a common thread in many Greek myths, as well as in Obama-thology here.

President Obama “swallows his own stomach.” He tries to avoid the oracle of endless war but is bogged down by the very thing which brings about more war, counter insurgency operations by us.

Another characteristic of oracles in myth is that they are almost always misunderstood by those who hear them. So that by trying to end war, Barack creates more war. By trying to win over Woodward, Barack loses Woodward via Barack’s failure to command respect among his medal popper color guard.

Barack’s euphemism of honorable retreat instead of
the reality of losing a war plays into his Oracle/
Fate of a forsaken tragic hero. He tries to make
sense of being forsaken by Fate/history, but is
unable to grasp the reality of overpride, or what
Christians like Obama call the sins of egotism/vanity.
Barack’s powers of intellect/cunning overcome common sense. The terminal tragedy which plays out proverbially is that Barack becomes an unwitting prisoner of our own American imperialist/expansionist narrative, a carrier of the host toxin of hubris of his immediate predecessor Bush, but waylaying itself way back in time to our Puritan Exceptionalism of the White Man’s Burden/Colored Man’s Bestiality.

Pride/vanity are the most pernicious/pervasive
sins, so to speak [via Barack’s Christianity],
afflicting all social classes high & low. Greed
afflicts more so the rich, ergo the richer you
get, the greedier/more avaricious you become.
I see this all the time at our public facilities
[stores/offices/etc.]. Anger/envy-jealousy
sublimate as you get higher up on the social
register [don’t tell Gen. Petraeus this].

Essentially, President Obama unwittingly becomes
a prisoner of his own Christian narrative of
guilt over the endless war in Afghanistan/KIAs/
WIAs, and suffers the sins of pride/vanity
as consequences. He is forsaken by his own
Christian Oracle.

Brother Keoni & Sister Lukini Andrew born 1942/1943 are my best friends, and the Mormon mission parallels Grecian Oracle “ nothing happens by chance [everything is fore-ordained], but we/humanity have agency/free will [predestination only for Calvinists].
We choose to turn toward our Heavenly Father or away from Him. Lest we fall in love with ourselves with overpride/egomania [unrighteous dominion], we have a chance to ascend up into the 3 degrees of glory [highest floor up on the elevator, the celestial, on down to the middle floor, the terrestial, and on down to the ground floor, the telestial, w/subterranean Perdition — dark chamber, not fiery inferno — reserved only for the very few such as Lucifer].
The Andrews’ mission here sums up as “Great Opportunity” [to mission Salvation]. Positive attitude, with cardinal virtues of humility, kindness, and patience. Barack makes sense of being forsaken by Fate? Euphemism/equivocation or not, the reality of being forsaken always stays with each & every one of us, including President Obama. Whatever might be the cause/trigger. One’s impoverishment/austerity measure brilliantly the significant other, because there is no mask for you to wear, nothing for you to impress another with, all you proffer is your unadorned naked body. Undeniably, Makiki salt of the earth kid Obama had his feet nailed to the floor, & probably had more sense to get out of Afghanistan than our medal popping Pentagon brass. Are you forsaken? Do you have your alma y corazon to withstand life’s dismissal of you? Or do you surrender to being
irrelevant?

From 442 head turner Ted Tsukiyama born 1920 “Ã¢â‚¬Å“

I personally have a lot of admiration and appreciation for Bill Okino Thompson [born 1924 –longtime State 442nd RCT President from Waiakea-Yashijima, Hilo — Bill is my dad’s “baby brah”] for all his service on behalf of the veterans, and most particularly for using his influence with the Legislature to get funding to erect the three memorials honoring the VVV up at the UH campus. Without him it wouldn’t have happened. He greatly admired the VVV through his close friendship with HQ 2nd Bn mates Sus Yamamoto and Herb Isonaga. His speech extolling the VVV and detailing how the seven VVV KIA met their sacrificial end stands as one of the greatest tributes ever tendered to the VVV. Despite his declining health he continues to serve and maximize the cause of the WW II Nisei veteran well. My view and relation with Bill will continue to remain positive.

All that Ted Tsukiyama learned through his avocation of WW II military history plus the experience of having been on the ground floor of post-Pearl Harbor history as one of Hung Wai Ching’s boys have given Ted experience and knowledge that today’s media, historians, writers, moviemakers, etc. need and yearn for in their assignments, and it is they that look up Ted and seek out Ted. At this moment Ted is being bugged by a Japan writer from Asahi Shinbun asking for names of 100th Bn vets (former 298th Inf.) who witnessed the capture of the midget submarine commander Sakamaki on December 8, 1941 at Waimanalo Beach. I myself love to hear stories of Hung Wai and Charles Hemenway and many other incredible but unsuspecting historymakers from Ted. Ted willingly shares all such remembrances/information because people should know about this historical information, and certainly not because Ted wants any more recognition or publicity out of it. Being consciously aware of such misconceptions about Ted’s taint of being a publicity seeker, Ted purposely seeks a low profile in veterans affairs and turns down all requests to serve as president or other high profile roles in the 442 and MIS. Ai!! 🙂

Simply put, it’s no surprise that love thy-selves Yoshito Takamine born 1926/Bobo Lapenia some 16 yrs. Yoshito’s junior “Ã¢â‚¬Å“broke rank w/their ILWU & tossed their chips in for Abercrombie, a cardinal sin when constraint suited these 2 borots back in their days as ILWU honchos. Dem Party oyabun Scrub Tanaka 1915-2006 always tiffed vs. ILWU, because Jack Hall’s genesis was pro-GOP, and Scrub dismissed Yoshito Takamine/Bobo Lapenia as self-serving opportunists.
Scrub couldn’t stand Georgie boy Yokoyama for the same reason, dismissing Georgie as an Akaka opportunist. Scrub was Ed Case’s alter ego “ independent/defiant/for the people, Case born 1952, Scrub old enough to be Case’s ojisan/tutu kane, which Scrub really was in spirit. Scrub wanted Abercrombie on Capitol Hill, not at Beretania St.’s Capitol’s 5th floor. Scrub would back Mufi today not because A-hole Mufi upends the existing status quo, even though Mufi’s gang reeks of retros/greedy money-hungry self-seekers, but because Abercrombie’s gang/genesis are Balzac’s rastignac/sycophants, incl. Dante Carpenter/Dickie Wong/Henry Peters/Cayetano/Toguchi, all of whom dismayed visionary oyabun/godfather Jack Burns 1909-1975. Scrub scoffed at George Ariyoshi as the titular rastignac, Waihe’e as Ariyoshi Jr., Cayetano as Ariyoshi III, & Mazie Hirono as Ariyoshi IV. Scrub scoffed at Lingle, but redeemed her only as the rebel who upended the rastignac Democrat dynasty. Scrub wanted Case to run vs. Lingle in 2006, but supported Case vs. Akaka, in that Dan Inouye is the only U.S.. Senator with 2 votes!!! [Akaka is Inouye’s foil] And that Inouye, whom Scrub derides as tenno heikka, his majesty the emperor
[Inouye is clueless in Nipponese vocabulary, being completely Americanized/A-hole assimilated, born 1924, exemplar of post-1920 born A-hole generation that had blessing of getting high school diploma thanks to DPI chief Oren E. Long 1889-1965], is so self-aggrandized that Inouye violated Jack Burns’ cardinal rule of grooming a successor like Case/Mufi.
Scrub never forgave Inouye for such Nippon master race Inouye DNA megalomania. Come-on, gang, you gonna ask about Hanabusa? Who wants 3 J_ps on Capitol Hill, huh?? The fruit is ripe for pickin’ “ Djou is the unlikeliest [pandering GOP] wood pole w/a future in politics.

Scrub hands-down would’ve supported Obama over Clinton, in that Obama’s semi-blackness is
transformational [racial politics are a
reality], all other things being equal.

Sempai Kondo is 3 yrs. older than me, as
Genro Franklin Odo is 11 yrs. older than
Sempai. I never knew what it’s like to
have grandparents, being that my parents
were old enough to be my grandparents.
So my teacher Alex Akita 1896-1987 was
in my fantasy/imagination like my
surrogate ojisan/tutu kane. A chiseled
man [as in solid rock] even at age
69 as my schoolteacher [Alex loved
teaching, didn’t retire], w/a pole
rod straight back, stately-very
tall 5’5″³ for Alex’ generation as
among the oldest Hawai’i-born [2nd
generation — Nisei] buddaheads,
Alex, though ibaru/conceited-monoshiri,
was a former great athlete in his WWI
days [WWI doughboy].

Sempai Kondo more is a role model for me
than Dan Inouye is, simply because
Sempai has more humility, like my
parents’ pre-1920 born generation
[high school diplomas off-limits to
pre-1920 born plantation kids via
Big 5 repression], which for timeline/
age-reckoning, amounts to being
my grandparents’ generation, though
my actual grandparents were born
1880.

Vote-trading can be viewed as beneficial to democracy in that it makes it possible for minorities to exert some influence and thus alleviate the tyranny of the majority. In this way, vote-trading is similar to coalition-building, which also involves an exchange of policies and bargaining over cabinet positions in order to gain the parliamentary majority needed for approval of the entire program.

Politicians receive campaign contributions and other payoffs from powerful corporations, organizations or individuals when making choices in the interests of those parties, or in anticipation of favorable policy. However, such a relationship does not meet the legal standards for bribery without evidence of a quid pro quo.

Contribution/donation become bribery only when there is an identifiable exchange between the contribution and official acts, previous or subsequent, and the term quid pro quo denotes such an exchange. The term may also be used to describe blackmail, where a person offers to refrain from some harmful disclosure/exposure in return for valuable consideration [money]. Influence peddling with an identifiable exchange [money] is bribery.

It’s an “accepted practice for legislators to trade legislative votes” “ say, your dam for my crop support. In addition, it’s common to urge members to vote a certain way for the sake of party discipline “ and every lawmaker understands what the committee described as the “inherent” and “unspoken” consequences of toeing the party line, or failing to. Where the committee found Mr. DeLay went too far was in offering, as an explicit quid pro quo for his vote, something of purely personal interest [endorsement as a commodity of value] to Mr. Smith.

Mr. DeLay acknowledged that he offered to personally endorse Brad Smith in exchange for Mr. Smith’s vote in favor of the Medicare bill. With the younger Smith in a primary contest “ one he eventually lost “ Mr. DeLay’s backing, and the financial support that would probably have accompanied it, was a valuable commodity.

Blackmail is similar to extortion. The difference is that extortion involves an underlying, independent criminal act [coercion/protection racket], while blackmail [e.g. exposing degrading facts] does not.

A third party can only enter the arena if it can exploit the mistakes of a pre-existing major party, ultimately at that party’s expense. For example, the political chaos in the United States immediately preceding the Civil War allowed the Republican Party to replace the Whig Party as the progressive half of the American political landscape. Loosely united on a platform of country-wide economic reform and federally funded industrialization, the decentralized Whig leadership failed to take a decisive stance on the slavery issue, effectively splitting the party along the Mason-Dixon Line. Southern rural planters, initially lured by the prospect of federal infrastructure and schools, quickly aligned themselves with the pro-slavery Democrats, while urban laborers and professionals in the northern states, threatened by the sudden shift in political and economic power and losing faith in the failing Whig candidates, flocked to the increasingly vocal anti-slavery Republican Party.

Vote-trading can be viewed as beneficial to democracy in that it makes it possible for minorities to exert some influence and thus alleviate the tyranny of the majority. In this way, vote-trading is similar to coalition-building, which also involves an exchange of policies and bargaining over cabinet positions in order to gain the parliamentary majority needed for approval of the entire program.

Aiona decompresses pathetically, because 1) his endorsement by religious right wingers like GOP clueless kid head Ka’awai falsely assured him of the upset win of the new century, when in fact Ka’awai Christian Right tag was Aiona’s kiss of death; 2) Aiona is a manufactured politician, clueless like Ka’awai. Aiona is utterly egocentric [dad Jimmy was the biggest egocentric of all] and plainly a jock in emperor’s clothes. Aiona belongs in the gym and not on the top floor of the Capitol.

The Schullers: a tale of two churches
Family discord and financial shortfalls have plagued the opulent but bankrupt Crystal Cathedral, an operation some see as outdated. The founder’s grandson has established his own, more intimate church, seeking to evolve with the times.